Google patches an annoying Wear OS authentication bug affecting Wallet

What you need to know

• A bug affecting Google Wallet caused repeated authentication prompts for Wear OS users.
• More than a week after first acknowledging the problem, Google confirmed it has patched the bug.
• Wear OS users can now continue making Wallet payments without authenticating their purchase if it is unlocked and on their wrist.

A tweak to how Google Wallet handles contactless payments on Android phones may have resulted in a frustrating bug for Wear OS users, but it has since been resolved. In a community post Thursday, May 29, a Google employee confirmed the bug causing Wear OS devices to repeatedly ask for PIN/pattern authentication is fixed (via 9to5Google).

Now, users can continue to make Wallet transactions without needing to authenticate their purchase every single time. After unlocking the smartwatch and keeping it strapped to your wrist, you can make Google Wallet contactless payments quickly and easily without entering your PIN or pattern.

The updated community post explains that some Wear OS users were “being asked to re-enter their PIN/password on their smartwatch during in-store payments.” The company acknowledged the issue on May 20, and more than a week later, the patch is available.

Initially, it was unclear whether this bug was a behavior change coinciding with an adjustment made to the way Google Wallet works on Android. For smartphones, Google Wallet now needs to be unlocked with a passcode or biometrics for the app to be opened. While the emergence of the Wear OS bug seemed to line up with this tweak, it turned out to be a mistake after all.

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