What you need to know
- Google Pay has rolled out the ability to save and access your COVID-19 vaccination certificate in Australia.
- The certificate can be accessed even if you're offline.
- Google says the vaccination data is stored locally on your device.
Vaccination certificates are increasingly finding importance in almost every type of public places as lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 start to ease. For Australians, Google is making it easier to access their vaccination cards on the best Android phones and show it when necessary wherever they go.
Google has announced that Google Pay users in Australia can now save their vaccination certificates on the app and quickly access the document if they need to prove at a restaurant, for example, that they've been fully vaccinated. The vaccine information can also be accessed even if you're not connected to the internet, and it's available in the same location in the Pay app where your cards and other passes are saved in.
People who received their second dose of vaccine in the country can also log in to Medicare through the MyGov website, view their COVID-19 digital certificate, and save it to their phone. Alternatively, they can download their vaccination certificate through the Express Plus Medicare app. The feature was first rolled out in the U.S. in June, when Google updated the Passes API to allow developers who are affiliated with healthcare organizations or public health agencies to develop a digital card which can be used to demonstrate an individual's vaccination status.
Pay will display relevant details such as the type of vaccine and the date of immunization. These pieces of information are stored locally in your device instead of Google's servers for added safety. You'll also need to provide the password, PIN, or biometric data associated with your device each time you try to access those data.
It's worth noting that you don't need to have an existing Pay account to use the new feature. You can also add a shortcut for your vaccination card to your phone's home screen.
Google Pay
The Google Pay app helps you keep track of your spending as well as send and receive money. You can also store your cards for easy access on the fly.
