A recent update to Android 17 led to a widespread malfunction of Google Wallet for a segment of Pixel smartphone users. This glitch displayed an error message stating, "Phone doesn't meet security requirements," effectively disabling contactless payment features and preventing new card registrations. Fortunately, Google has now implemented a corrective measure, though affected users might need to allow some time for the full resolution to take effect.
The perplexing aspect of this malfunction was that the affected devices continued to pass Play Integrity validations and maintained their Play Protect certifications. Reports from numerous users on Google's Pixel support forums and various Reddit discussions highlighted that Google Wallet was unresponsive to NFC transactions, despite the phones appearing to be fully compliant. Additionally, some users noted that other applications, such as Too Good To Go, were suddenly flagged as incompatible.
The issue predominantly impacted the Pixel 10 series, though a number of Pixel 9 series device owners also encountered similar problems. Efforts by users to resolve the issue, including clearing Google Play Services data or performing factory resets, proved ineffective.
While Google has not officially disclosed the root cause of the problem, a support representative informed one user that a server-side correction had been implemented. There has been speculation among some users that the issue stemmed from a backend device attestation failure, but this remains unconfirmed by Google.
For individuals still experiencing difficulties, it is recommended to reboot their phone and allow up to a full day for the server-side adjustments to propagate. Some reports indicate that third-party applications regain functionality first, followed by the ability to add payment cards. Once synchronization is complete, Google Wallet should operate as expected.
If the issue persists beyond 24 hours, users can submit system logs to Google through the "Settings > About phone > Send feedback about this device" option. This will aid Google in further investigating any remaining unresolved cases.
