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Beyond the splashy AI reveals, Google I/O unveiled a suite of enhancements to its core services, including Google Wallet, Wear OS, and the Google Play Store.

Wear OS users can look forward to Live Updates, a new feature slated for 2026 that provides real-time tracking information for deliveries, ride-sharing services, and navigation directly on their smartwatches. Google Wallet will receive a context-aware upgrade with ‘Nearby Passes’ notifications, intelligently surfacing relevant passes when users are near applicable locations like airports or coffee shops. Further expanding its digital ID capabilities, Google Wallet will now support digital IDs in more states and UK passports. Airlines will also gain the ability to automatically push boarding passes directly to users’ wallets.

The Google Play Store is adding a convenient ‘Ask someone else to pay’ option, enabling users to request payment for purchases from individuals outside their Google Family group. Subscription add-on purchases will benefit from streamlined checkout processes, and developers will gain more granular control over app rollouts. Google TV is slated to receive Android 16, a Material 3-based design overhaul, and support for the Eclipsa Audio codec, co-developed with Samsung, promising a richer and more immersive entertainment experience.