The new Google Pay app is finally out of beta — here’s what that could mean

A global release could be imminent.

What you need to know

• The new Google Pay app is no longer listed as “early access” in the Play Store.
• Google is set to strip the old version of most of its features next month.
• This could mean Google is preparing to roll out the new app to more countries outside the U.S.

The old version of the Google Pay app was recently and unsurprisingly given an expiration date as Google focuses on the new app experience. On April 5th, exactly a month from the time of writing, Google will strip the old app of most features that make it useful. As the new app had been available in the U.S. for months, the move was expected, bringing a new interface and focus on P2P transactions. Oddly, the new app was still listed as “early access,” despite being widely available, and even appeared in the beta tab of the Play Store… until now.

The new Google Pay app has apparently shed its early access status and is a full-fledged app. It also no longer shows up in the beta tab, meaning all the kinks have apparently been ironed out. Given that the new app is only available in the United States, India, and Singapore, this could also indicate that the company is getting ready for a wider launch.

It would be ideal for Google to release the new version of the app in more regions; that way, it can completely phase out the old app and doesn’t have to waste any more resources on keeping it alive. It would also ensure more people have access to the latest features, such as the upcoming Google Plex bank account.

For now, anyone outside the supported countries will be unaffected by the changes Google is making to the old app and will continue to have access after the April 5th cutoff. The best Wear OS watches are also unaffected by this change, regardless of the region.

The old version of the app remains available in the Play Store, but you can only access it through a direct link and not by a Play Store search. At this point, though, the old app should just be left to die a peaceful death. If you’re still using this version, here’s how to download and set up the new Google Pay app.