What you need to know
- Samsung is warning Galaxy users to update Google Play Services to keep Digital Key working in Samsung Wallet.
- The alert says Digital Key won’t function unless Google Play Services is updated to the latest version.
- Tapping the notification takes users to the Play Store, where they can manually update Play Services if needed.
Samsung has started warning Galaxy phone users that a key feature in the Samsung Wallet app might stop working if they don’t update Google Play Services on their device.
Even though Google Wallet has caught up in recent times, for example, with support for adding passports, Samsung Wallet is still one of the best pre-installed apps on Galaxy phones. It lets you securely store credit cards, IDs, boarding passes, and digital keys for contactless payments and access. It can even double as a password manager alternative to Google Password Manager.
However, it looks like you’ll need to keep Google Play Services updated to ensure everything continues working properly, especially digital keys.
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(Image credit: Sammy Fans)
As noted by Sammy Fans, Samsung has started sending notifications to Galaxy users, asking them to update Google Play Services to keep the Digital Key feature working. The notification reads: “Samsung Wallet Digital Key won’t run unless you update the Google Play Services.”
Tapping the notification takes you to the Google Play Store listing for Google Play Services, where you can update it manually. Usually, Play Services updates automatically in the background, but if your device missed an update, you can manually install it from there.
Android Central’s take
If you rely on Samsung Wallet, it’s a good idea to update Google Play Services right away. It usually updates in the background, but checking it manually only takes a second.
For those who don’t remember, Digital Keys let you store things like car keys or home access inside Samsung Wallet. So if you rely on this feature, it’s worth updating as soon as possible. Even if your phone already shows the latest version, it seems Samsung is just being cautious by pushing this notification out more broadly.

