Next Android Operating System to Support Enhancements to HCE

The next major Android upgrade, code-named Android L, includes changes to the way host-card emulation handles default applications for payment, according to a developer preview.

The new operating system will also enable developers to register application IDs, or AIDs–which tell Android which HCE app to talk to when a phone is tapped on a reader–later in the development process, addressing complaints from developers, according to Google. And a Google representative this past week also said the Web giant has opened HCE to “more use cases” or types of applications, mentioning transit ticketing, identity and building access. He offered few details, however.

‘Temporary Default’ App
At present, in Android 4.4, or KitKat, one application is designated as a default for HCE payments, and in order to pay with a different application, consumers need to go into Android’s Tap & Pay settings menu to change the default, according to the Google representative.

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