Google Wallet might be coming back to iPhone

iPhone owners have been locked out of a proper Google Wallet app for over a year, but that could be about to change. Code strings buried inside Google Play Services and the Quick Share Extension app now reference "Google Wallet" and "iOS" together, and that pairing wasn't there before.

Five separate references were spotted across the two apps, each tying Google Wallet directly to iOS. On their own, strings like these don't confirm a finished app, but they're the kind of leftover code that typically shows up months before a feature ships. Google hasn't commented on the discovery.

Why did iPhone users lose Google Wallet?

The Google Wallet was first introduced on iPhone in 2013, and it was years before Apple Pay took the lead in this industry. Later, it was combined with Google Pay that worked on both devices until the latter was closed in 2024.

Opening the NFC chip of an iPhone to third-party developers from iOS 18 makes this situation a little bit different because Google Wallet used to require NFC-capable phones, but Google removed this requirement for Android.

With Apple's NFC now unlocked, Google would have a technical path to offer contactless payments through its own app rather than routing everyone into Apple Pay.

This update fits with other updates to Wallet that are currently being released on Android devices, including an updated interface featuring full-screen passes and improved navigation. 

An iOS app release at this time would allow Google to introduce its new Wallet service on both Android and iOS, maintaining consistency from the beginning.

Finding five strings doesn’t necessarily mean the product will be released soon. It could simply be an update in testing for an internal tool.