For some time now, both Android and Google's own services have been receiving new features and improvements focused on security and privacy. Google Wallet, the company's payment platform, received a "Verification" setting in April. Now, the Google Wallet verification option, which was only available for transit payments, has disappeared after a recent update.
The Verification option was designed so that Google Wallet would request verification (biometric or password) every time you made certain types of payments. This is different from the Wallet's occasional verification requirement after unlocking the device to make payments. Since the initial rollout in April, the feature never received options other than transit payments. Users could easily enable or disable it via a toggle.
Rather than receiving new payment types to apply Verification to, the entire option has simply disappeared. Reports indicate that most (or all) Google Wallet users who updated the app to version 24.44 and have Google Play Services version 24.44 or 24.45 onwards are missing the feature. At the moment, it is unknown if the disappearance of the option is a bug or something Google intended.
The Verification settings seemed useful for those users looking for the maximum possible security protection. In case of receiving more payment categories, users could enable all of them to be sure that the device would require prior verification for all types of payments. "Choose if you'll need to verify it's you when using your payment methods and passes in Wallet," said the description of the function.
The fact that the setting has not received any changes in months suggests that its removal is an intended move by Google. Perhaps the Mountain View giant believes that Wallet's standard requirement of verification after a specific time of unlocking the device suffices. Let's hope that the company offers clarification on this matter in the coming days. Without an official word, anything suggested in this regard is speculation.
In related news, Google wants kids to use Wallet in 2025 by expanding the reach of Family Link to its payment platform.