Google is introducing a new design for passes in Google Wallet during 2026. This is a significant change from the current pass layout and will affect how passes look when opened in Google Wallet.

The change is controlled by Google and will eventually apply to all Google Wallet passes. It is not an optional design that businesses or pass holders can choose to enable or disable.

Your existing passes will continue to work, and there is nothing you need to do yet.

This article covers:

Google Wallet is moving away from the current card-style design and introducing a full-screen, vertically scrolling layout.

Instead of placing all the pass content inside a rounded card, Google Wallet will display the pass as a series of sections. These sections can include the logo, pass name, barcode, fields, images, links, and other actions.

In the current design, the pass appears as a card on a separate background.

In the new design, the pass background colour extends across the full screen. This gives the pass a larger and more immersive appearance, while making the choice of background colour more important.

Make sure there is enough contrast between your background colour and your logo, text, and other pass content.

The logo moves from its current position in the pass header to a more prominent, centred position near the top of the pass.

Google Wallet will display the standard logo inside a circular frame. Because of this, logos containing text or artwork close to the edges may be cropped.

For the best result:

Google Wallet will apply the circular shape automatically.

A wide logo may also be used for supported pass types. The recommended size for a wide logo is 1280 × 400 pixels, using a transparent PNG.

The pass or program name will appear larger and more prominently near the top of the pass.

Long names may wrap onto a second line or be shortened on smaller screens. We recommend using a short, clear name that customers can recognise quickly.

The hero image becomes a much more prominent part of the pass.

In the current design, the image appears as a thin, wide strip. In the new design, it appears as a larger, full-width image underneath the main pass information.

Google’s updated recommendation for the hero image is:

This means images created for the current thin layout may not look their best in the new design. PassKit will provide more guidance before customers need to update their artwork.

The current pass is designed to show most of its important content within a single card.

The new pass works more like a vertically scrolling page. Customers will scroll down to view additional fields, images, links, locations, and other information.

Depending on the amount of content and the customer’s screen size, not everything may be visible when the pass first opens.

This makes the order of your pass content more important. Essential information should appear near the top, while supporting information and links can appear further down.

Pass fields will be displayed in sections beneath the main pass information.

Google recommends keeping field names and values short and limiting the amount of information shown in each row. Where possible:

Additional information can still be included, but customers may need to scroll to see it.

The barcode remains an important part of the pass and will continue to work as normal.

Its exact position can vary depending on the pass type and the other content included on the pass. On longer passes or smaller screens, customers may need to scroll to reach some content.

When testing your pass, make sure the barcode is easy to locate and scan.

Links and actions will become clearer, tappable sections within the pass.

These may include:

These actions will be easier to identify than the plain information rows used in the current design.

Options such as sharing, notifications, archiving, and removing the pass will move to a separate pass settings screen.

This reduces the number of controls shown alongside the main pass content and gives more space to the pass itself.

No. The new pass design is part of an update to Google Wallet.

Google controls how passes are displayed inside the Wallet app. Once the new design has been rolled out, all supported Google Wallet passes will use it.

Businesses will not be able to remain on the current design or allow customers to choose between the two layouts.

Existing passes will automatically move to the new design as Google rolls out the update.

Customers will not need to:

The pass data will remain the same, but Google Wallet will present it using the new layout.

Yes. Existing passes will continue to work.

The design change does not affect the pass itself or prevent customers from using it. Supported features such as barcodes, pass updates, links, and messages will continue to work.

However, their position and appearance may change within the new Google Wallet layout.

PassKit has reviewed the new Google Wallet requirements and has the necessary platform updates in place.

We are continuing to test the new design to make sure passes created through PassKit display correctly when Google introduces the updated layout.

No action is required at this time.

You can continue creating, issuing, and updating Google Wallet passes as normal.

We will provide further guidance closer to the rollout if any changes are required to your pass designs, images, or content.

Google will control when the new pass design becomes available.

The update may be introduced gradually, which means some customers could see the new design before others. During the rollout, the same pass may appear differently depending on the customer’s device and version of Google Wallet.

Eventually, all Google Wallet passes will use the new design.

See the PassKit Blog for full details of the Google Wallet changes coming, including Tiled Passes and Searching Passes.