While Google I/O 2025 certainly put the spotlight on AI, the developer sessions quietly revealed some exciting updates for your everyday devices, from smartwatches to your TV. These features focus on making your tech more convenient, useful, and easier to navigate.
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Here’s a look at some of the most practical new features coming soon to Google platforms.
Live Updates Are Headed to Your Smartwatch
Ever wish you could see the status of your food delivery or ride-share right on your wrist without pulling out your phone? Google is bringing its handy Live Updates feature, which already works for things like navigation and delivery tracking on phones, to smartwatches running Wear OS.
This means your watch face could potentially show you real-time information, like how far away your car is or the status of your package. Google confirmed in a developer session that this feature is planned for wearables sometime in 2026. This isn’t entirely new territory, as Apple already offers similar at-a-glance status information with Live Activities on watchOS.
Google Wallet Gets Smarter About Your Location
Good news for travelers and daily commuters! Google is adding a helpful new trick to Google Wallet called “Nearby Passes.” Imagine walking into an airport or arriving at your favorite coffee shop – if you have a relevant pass saved, like a boarding pass or loyalty card, Google Wallet can now pop up a notification prompting you to access it instantly with a single tap. No more fumbling through your phone’s apps.
Screenshot showing Google Wallet notifying user about a nearby boarding pass ready for use
Google also announced they are expanding support for digital IDs to several new US states (Arkansas, Montana, Puerto Rico, West Virginia) and will now support UK passports digitally. Plus, airlines using Google Wallet can soon automatically send your boarding pass to your wallet as soon as you check in.
Sharing Purchases Gets Easier on Google Play
Sometimes you want to buy an app or in-game item for a friend or family member who isn’t part of your Google Family group. Google Play is adding a simple solution: an “Ask someone else to pay” button. This feature lets you send a payment link to someone outside your immediate family group, allowing them to complete the purchase for you. Initially launched in India, this feature is now rolling out to the US, Japan, Indonesia, and Mexico.
Google is also working on streamlining subscription purchases on the Play Store, potentially letting you buy base subscriptions and add-ons together in a single transaction with one combined price.
For developers, the Play Store is introducing new tools to make app listings more dynamic and engaging. Developers will be able to add content carousels, embed YouTube playlists, and even include audio previews, particularly helpful for health and wellness apps showcasing guided meditations or workouts.
Animated GIF showing new Google Play Store developer tools like content carousels and embedded video content
They’re also making it easier to manage buggy releases, giving developers the ability to quickly halt distribution of problematic updates to new users. On the user side, the Play Store is adding new “topic pages” to help you browse shows, movies, and sports content more easily.
Google TV Steps Up with Android 16 and Better Audio
Your smart TV is getting an upgrade too. Android 16 is coming to Google TV, bringing some design tweaks and potentially features like MediaQualityManager, which helps apps automatically select the best picture settings.
Crucially, Google TV will also gain support for the Eclipsa Audio codec. This is the spatial audio format that Google and Samsung have been developing together. Spatial audio creates a more immersive sound experience, making it feel like sound is coming from different directions around you, rather than just left and right. This could significantly enhance the viewing experience for movies and shows on compatible Google TVs.
These updates show that Google is continually refining its ecosystem of devices and services, adding practical features that improve daily interactions even beyond the headline-grabbing AI announcements.
