Google’s March update makes paying with your Pixel Watch stupidly fast

Smartwatches are improving when it comes to security and now payments as well. A few months ago, we found out that the Pixel Watch might soon auto-lock your phone if you leave it behind. Now, Google is adding another helpful feature called Express Pay, which is designed to speed up checkout lines.

With its latest feature rollout and the March Pixel Drop, Google announced that you’ll soon be able to pay by just turning and tapping your watch at a retail terminal. This means you won’t need to open the Wallet app first.

In the June 2025 Pixel Feature Drop, Google said that Wear OS watches would get Express Transit in the Google Wallet app. This would let users tap to pay quickly, even if the screen is off and without opening the Wallet app. That feature now finally arrives on your favorite Pixel Watches.

Previously, paying with your watch meant you had to launch an app or go through authentication, depending on your settings. With Express Pay, it’s much simpler: just raise your wrist, tap the terminal, and you’re done.

Google says you won’t have to give up security to use this feature. In other words, it’s not an open NFC system where anyone can access your information.

This feature will be available on the Pixel Watch 2 and newer models. If you still have the original, it might be time to think about upgrading.