Google makes it easier to find Wear OS apps on (and off) your wrist
TL; DR
- Google has redesigned the Play Store experience for watch apps on both Wear OS and your Android phone.
- The Play Store on Wear OS now has an Android 12 influenced user interface that is easier to navigate.
- The Play Store on Android now helps you find, watch apps and faces with improved installs.
Google recognizes that Wear OS is making a big comeback, and that now extends to finding (and installing) smartwatch apps as well. The company is rolling out a revamped Play Store experience that will allow you to find these apps whether you’re looking on your wrist or your Android phone.
The biggest changes come with finding apps on Wear OS itself. The Play Store now has a user interface influenced by Material You from Android 12, including easier-to-read maps. The store also “reliably” handles in-app purchases by directing you to your Android phone or a web browser link.
Continue reading: Wear OS buyers guide
It’s also a lot easier to find Wear OS apps on your phone. You can add clock and watch faces filters to your search to limit results to smartwatch software, and there are new curated sections on the Wear OS category pages. Once you’ve found an app you want, you can tap the Install button to install that title on any compatible watches you own.
The improved experience with Wear OS apps should reach everyone in the “coming weeks,” Google said. You need at least Wear OS 2.x on your watch.
The news comes just days before the widely rumored Galaxy Watch 4 debut in mid-August, when Samsung unofficially expects to launch its first Wear OS device with the One UI Watch interface. It suggests that Google is determined to address many of the issues that have held Wear OS back, including app discoverability – you don’t have to wonder if there is a Watch version of a useful app, or problems downloading software as soon as you’ve found it.
