Google introduces COVID vaccination cards to Android devices

Google has introduced a new feature for Android users to save their vaccination certificate information digitally. Initially, it has been limited to select providers in the United States but will soon be available to other countries as well. Users will not be required to install any particular app to store or access the digital card on their devices. Google will show the vaccination card in its payment app, "Google Pay." For this, the company has updated the Passes API to enable a secure way of storing your COVID-19 vaccination card.

For this to work, government agencies, healthcare organizations, and public health authorities that distribute vaccines and conduct tests for COVID-19 will need to implement Google's Passes APIs to issue users the digital version of their vaccination and test certificates. Then, you can save the card from the app of your healthcare provider or through the email or text message you will get from the government agency or organization conducting COVID-19 vaccination or tests.

For security reasons, the COVID Vaccination Card will not be stored in the cloud but only locally so that no personal medical record is leaked by any chance. Local storing of the card also means the information is available even offline. This feature can be helpful, especially for travelers post-pandemic, as they just have to show the vaccination info through phones digitally, anywhere in the world. Google is working with several governments and healthcare agencies to bring this to more countries soon.