Google Wallet rolling out digital Google Home keys with supported locks on Android

Google Wallet for Android is expanding its support for digital home keys, now compatible with smart locks in Google Home. By adding a home key to Google Wallet, users can now Tap to Unlock their phone, even when the screen is locked. This is achieved through NFC and defaults to screen lock or biometric verification settings, which can be adjusted within the Google Wallet app.

This feature requires Android 9 or higher. Unlock on Approach is also supported with Aliro Ultra Wideband (UWB)-compatible Android phones and Aliro UWB-compatible locks.

The digital key is tied to the Google Home app, not a single lock, allowing all compatible Aliro locks to work with just one key in Google Wallet. Keys are added via the Home app, which will prompt users to save after setup, and can also be accessed through Home settings by selecting Google Wallet key. Once added, the key syncs automatically across all compatible Android phones linked to the user's Google Wallet account.

The card in Google Wallet displays a simple Google Home logo with the name of the user's home in the top-right corner. Initially, launch supports the Aqara u400 (UWB and NFC), Schlage Sense Pro (NFC at launch, UWB coming soon), and Nuki Keypad 2 NFC. More models will follow. Support for these features is first being rolled out to the Google Home Public Preview before being made available to all users in the coming weeks.