Google Wallet continues to chip away at the digital wallet experience, adding quality-of-life improvements that make storing all your miscellaneous cards and passes less of a chore. While it already supports a wide range of transit passes, loyalty programs, and even some state IDs, not every provider has jumped on board.
That’s where custom passes come in — a feature Google launched last year that uses AI to analyze an image of a pass and turn it into something Wallet-ready. It’s quietly become one of the app’s best tricks, and now, it’s even easier to use (Source: Mishaal Rahman via Android Authority).
A simple fix for a small issue
That could actually encourage better Google Wallet use
Previously, creating a custom pass required jumping through a few hoops: opening the Wallet app, tapping “Add to Wallet,” selecting “Everything else,” then taking a photo or digging through Android’s Photo Picker (which still lacks a search function, by the way). It’s not rocket science, but it’s also not frictionless, especially when you’re trying to add something that isn’t already sitting neatly in your photo gallery.
Now, Google’s removed that friction entirely — sort of. Wallet has quietly added itself as a target in Android’s share sheet, meaning you can share an image directly to the app from almost anywhere. Just long-press that image in your gallery or camera app, tap “Share,” and choose Google Wallet. The custom pass creator launches instantly. The standard process continues after that: hit “Next,” pick a pass type, and save.
It’s a small but meaningful upgrade that turns a slightly annoying workflow into something you can do in seconds. The only catch? Google doesn’t label the Wallet share target with any context. If you’re not in the habit of exploring every share sheet option, you could easily miss it.
An ongoing campaign of Google Wallet improvements
According to Rahman and other tech journalists and insiders, the rollout is currently a bit hit-or-miss. Some recent Pixels have it and some don’t, for example. Other top-shelf models like the S25 Ultra and OnePlus Open have also been seen with the updated share sheet. But gradual rollouts based on a seemingly random selection are nothing new for Android features.
This comes on the heels of another helpful change: Google Wallet now lets you edit custom pass information after creation — a long-overdue tweak that means you don’t have to start over just to fix a typo. And yes, digital ID support continues to expand, with Iowa being the latest state to join the list.
Between these updates, it’s clear Google hasn’t forgotten about Wallet — even if your phone hasn’t gotten the memo yet (and don’t worry, it will soon).
