Google to drop Hands Free mobile payments app
Google is ending the pilot for Hands Free, a product that combines a standalone app and Bluetooth technology to allow users to make and confirm purchases at participating retailers, according to multiple media reports.
The pilot will end Feb. 8.
Google tested Hands Free in the San Francisco Bay area with merchants including McDonald's and Papa John's. The app was available for Android and iOS devices; the beacon technology needed to communicate with the app was installed at selected McDonald's and Papa John's stores in the South Bay area. Some local eateries also were involved in the pilot.
In an email to Hands Free users, Google said that it will focus on Android Pay going forward.