Google Wallet is so convenient, but if you only ever use it with the default settings, you aren’t getting the most out of the app. On my Pixel phone, I tweak a few usability and privacy settings, as well as create shortcuts to make it quicker to use, and they really make a difference.
Get more detailed receipts
Can’t remember a purchase? Google Wallet will tell you where you did it
Once you start using Google Wallet all the time, you end up making payments every day, in different places, using different cards. It can be hard to keep track of it all. One thing you can do to make it easier is to turn on more detailed receipts. It uses your location to record where you were when you made the payment, which is useful even if you don’t recognize the name of the business involved.
You need to enable the location permission to use this. The easiest way to do it is to tap on a payment card, then select one of your recent purchases, where you should be prompted to set it up. You need to use precise location for it to work. But for privacy purposes, you can keep the permission set to Allow Only While Using the App so that you aren’t being tracked all the time.
Enable the lock screen shortcut
Open your phone straight into the Wallet app
You can cut down the number of steps needed to access your wallet when paying by setting up a lock screen shortcut. This places a Google Wallet icon in one of the bottom corners of your lock screen, which takes you directly into the app. It doesn’t bypass your security features. You’ll still be prompted to unlock your phone with a fingerprint (or other method) first.
To add it, long-press on your Pixel’s home screen and select Wallpaper and Style. Swipe across to the Lock Screen options and find Shortcuts. Now add Wallet as either the left or right button.
You also have the option to set Wallet to open with a double-press of the Power button. You can find this in Settings > System > Gestures. Personally, I prefer to keep this option set to launch the camera instead.
Add the Quick Settings shortcut
Access Wallet even while you’re using another app
As well as adding Wallet to my lock screen, I add a shortcut in the Quick Settings panel that swipes open from the top of the screen. This lets me quickly access the app even when I’m already using the phone for something else. Whether I’m reading an ebook or text message, or watching YouTube, I can simply swipe open the Quick Settings, tap the Wallet icon, and pay.
To add it, swipe down from the top of the screen twice to reveal the full Quick Settings pane. Now tap the Edit icon (the pencil). Here, you can add, remove, reposition, and resize the tiles. Find the one for Wallet, then hold your finger on it and drag it upwards into position. You can resize it to make it one or two tiles wide.
Change the verification settings
You don’t always need to use your fingerprint to pay
For added convenience when using public transit, you can disable verification when paying. As long as the transport company you’re traveling with supports it, you can simply hold your phone against the payment machine, and the transaction will go through without you needing to unlock your phone. It works with travel cards first, and will use your credit or debit card if you don’t have one.
To enable this, open Wallet and tap your avatar in the top corner. Now go to Settings > Verification settings > Public transport payments. Toggle off Verification Required. Next time you travel, you won’t need to unlock your phone to pay, but this doesn’t affect any other payments.
Lock down the privacy settings
Take control of how your Google Wallet data is used
The last settings that I always change in Google Wallet are the ones relating to privacy. As convenient as the app is, it can really hoover up a lot of data over time. And although Google says that it doesn’t sell or make your transaction data available to third parties, it will add to your general profile—what you buy, how much you spend, where you spend it, and so on. This information will, in time, affect the kinds of ads you see.
The privacy settings aren’t in the Google Wallet app itself, but you can access them through it. Tap your account avatar and select Your data in Wallet > Manage data from Wallet & payment services. This will take you to your Google page in your web browser, so you might need to log in if you aren’t already.
First, tap Manage Payments Data, then toggle off the personalization options and the ones to share your info. These allow your data to be used elsewhere. Now go back and select Manage Passes Data and turn off the personalization and info-sharing options here, too.
There are more settings you can change to make your Google account more private,
- SoC
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Google Tensor G4
- Display
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6.3-inch Actua display
The Google Pixel 10a is a barely updated version of the Google Pixel 9a, with a slightly brighter screen and an upgrade from Gorilla Glass 3 to Gorilla Glass 7i. Google has shaved the remaining few millimeters from the camera bump, making it completely flat. Unlike prior versions of the Pixel a series, this model year does not share the same Tensor processor as the mainline Pixel 10.
Change your Wallet settings on your Pixel
Google Wallet doesn’t come with a huge number of options for customization, but the ones that it does have are very useful. I always make these changes when setting up the app on my Pixel, and they make it more easily accessible, more convenient, and more private.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
