Google Wallet adds digital home keys for supported smart locks

What is arriving in Google Wallet

Google Wallet on Android is gaining the ability to hold a digital key for a smart lock set up in Google Home, according to 9to5Google. Once a key has been saved, the phone can be used to tap and unlock the door. The report says the rollout begins with the Google Home Public Preview and should reach everyone else over the coming weeks.

The key is tied to the Google Home app rather than to one specific lock. As a result, a single saved key covers every compatible Aliro lock in the home, the report states. The card that appears in the wallet carries a plain Google Home logo, with the home's name shown in the top-right corner.

Tap to unlock and verification settings

The tap-to-unlock behaviour relies on NFC. By default it is designed to work even while the phone screen is locked, but users can change that in the Google Wallet app so that unlocking requires the screen lock or biometric authentication. The feature needs Android 9 or later.

There is also an Unlock on Approach mode, which uses Ultra Wideband. That option requires both an Aliro UWB-compatible Android phone and an Aliro UWB-compatible lock. The report notes that Wear OS watches are not supported at launch.

Which locks and phones work at launch

Three locks are listed as supported from the start. The Aqara u400 handles both UWB and NFC, the Schlage Sense Pro offers NFC at launch with UWB to follow, and the Nuki Keypad 2 works over NFC. More models are expected to be added later.

On the phone side, the report points to select UWB-enabled Samsung Galaxy handsets for the approach-based unlocking. Keys are created through the Home app, which prompts the user to save one after setup; the same option is available under Home settings in a Google Wallet key entry. Once saved, the key syncs automatically to other compatible Android phones signed into the same Google Wallet account.

Why a shared key matters

Linking the credential to the home rather than to a single device simplifies life for households with more than one compatible lock, since there is no need to manage a separate key for each door. Storing it in Google Wallet also puts door access alongside the cards and passes many Android owners already keep there.

The staged rollout means Public Preview participants get access first, so other users may need to wait before the option appears. Anyone relying on the feature should check that their lock is on the supported list and that their phone meets the Android and, for approach unlocking, UWB requirements.