Summary
- Android 15 simplifies changing default wallet app settings, making it more user-friendly for a better experience.
- The new wallet app setting is largely just a rebrand of the old one, but it utilizes Android’s Roles API for easier default app prompts.
- Enrolling in the Android Beta Program allows users to try out Android 15 features like this today, but caution is advised for daily device use.
Since its inception, Android has always been an OS that is flexible and open to customization. While there are tons of surface level changes that can be made, some of the core parts of Android have always been under lock and key in order to provide a safe environment for its users. While the ability to set default apps on Android has been around for some time, setting a default wallet is another story.
Android 15 Beta 1 is here, but details are still under wraps
Google wants us to stay tuned for more user-facing changes at Google I/O
On Android 14, you can choose which apps you want as your default browser, assistant, and other common functions under Settings → Apps → Default apps — right where you’d expect to find these options. But changing the default app for mobile payments isn’t as intuitive. Those options are buried deep, under Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences → NFC → Contactless payments → Default payment app.
Choosing a new default payment app on Android 14 is an ordeal
Luckily, that all changes today with Google dropping the first Android 15 beta, which moves the setting for changing your default payments app to a more logical home at Settings → Apps → Default apps → Wallet app. In addition to this reorganization, the setting itself has been renamed from “Default payment app” to “Default wallet app,” perhaps in a nod to the expanding capabilities of apps like Google Wallet, which now supports loyalty cards, transit tickets, and other types of passes in addition to NFC payments.
Android 15 simplifies the default wallet app settings
You can now try it with the Android 15 beta
Android expert Mishaal Rahman did some digging for Android Headlines and found the feature nestled within the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1 update, which was released a couple of weeks back. And by toggling it on, was able to get an early sneak peek at the new wallet and its settings. While it’s exciting to see a new feature come to life ahead of release, through some luck or maybe just pure coincidence, the Android 15 beta really brought this feature to fruition, being an active part of the current update.
Rahman shared the inclusion of the feature in Android 15 on Telegram, so, rather than fumbling with some code, beta users can now actually try it out for themselves. As far as other changes go, Rahman states there really aren’t that many when it comes to the surface level of the app itself, calling the new wallet app setting a rebrand of the old one. He does note that there is one small difference between the two, with the new wallet app utilizing the Android’s Roles API, which means that wallet apps will now be able to prompt you to set them as the default on first-run — all without touching the Settings app.
If you’re curious to give this and other Android 15 features a try, you’re going to need to install the beta. Luckily, this is a pretty simple process and only requires you to enroll in the Android Beta Program. Once you’ve enrolled, your device will begin downloading the latest beta and you’ll be good to go. Plus, since this isn’t a developer beta, things should run fairly smoothly. With that said, this is a beta, so things can and will go wrong. So if you’re thinking about putting this on a device that’s used daily, just be cautious.
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