What you need to know
- Google announced that it's bringing Google Wallet and tap-to-pay support to Family Link devices next year.
- The functionality will let kids use cards and passes on their devices with parental supervision.
- After first appearing on the Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch, it'll soon come to Family Link Android devices.
Google is bringing a long-requested feature to Android phones managed with Family Link next year: Google Wallet for kids. The company told 9to5Google that starting in 2025, kids will be able to download the Google Wallet app on supervised Family Link devices, making contactless payments possible. Of course, there will be a handful of tools and limitations that give parents control of their child's activity.
For starters, the version of Google Wallet making its way to kids won't include support for online payments. Kids can make in-store purchases using Google Wallet's tap-to-pay feature, but can't buy things online. Additionally, parents will have to approve a credit or debit card before it can be added to their child's Google Wallet app. Every time a kid wants to make a purchase, they'll need to authenticate the contactless payment — just like on the full Google Wallet app.
Google Wallet for kids became popularized with the release of the Fitbit Ace LTE earlier this year, a smartwatch designed for children. The Fitbit Ace LTE supports contactless payments, and now, Google will bring a similar experience to more devices managed with Family Link.
Parents won't have to manually approve every payment, but they will see a transaction history for their child's purchases. If something goes wrong, Family Link managers can remotely remove a Google Wallet card from their child's devices. In all, the experience will be similar to handing a child a credit or debit card — but with one less thing for them to lose.
Some functionality is limited; kids can't add IDs or use health cards, but they can use event passes. It'll also be a somewhat limited rollout initially, starting with the U.S. and select countries in 2025, with a wider expansion to follow.
“Following the positive response of tap-to-pay on Fitbit Ace LTE devices, we’re expanding tap-to-pay for kids to Google Wallet," Google said in a statement to 9to5Google. "The new experience is built with safety in mind, and will allow parents to supervise their kids’ usage – including approving new cards, easily removing cards and viewing transaction history.”
