‘OK, Google’ is broken for some Wear OS smartwatches
- The detection of “OK Google” is flawed, at least for some Wear OS smartwatch owners.
- Even over the past few months, users have occasionally reported problems.
- It is not certain when there will be a solution.
If you ask your Google-based smartwatch for help and don’t get a response, you are not alone. Numerous users in Issue Tracker, Reddit and other countries report that the hotword recognition “OK Google” is flawed, at least for some Wear OS watch owners.
The full extent of the problem is not clear at this point, but users are reporting “OK Google” issues for a number of watch models. Android Authority The voice assistant was unable to recognize the phrase on a Fossil Gen 5 or Oppo Watch, while others report malfunctions on bracelets such as the TicWatch Pro 3.
See also: The best smartwatches you can buy
This also seems to be a recurring problem. Reports of problems with “OK Google” have been appearing for months – this is currently only a particularly acute glitch for watch owners.
We asked Google for a comment.
It’s safe to say that affected users are not happy. “OK Google” is a key feature for many watch owners – it’s key to checking the weather or sending a text when your hands are occupied. This also adds to concerns that Google is stalling the Wear operating system while Apple, Samsung and others are ahead.
Hopefully Google will pay more attention to its wearable software now that it owns Fitbit. Right now, however, the hotword errors don’t exactly improve Google’s reputation for neglecting Android on watches and other devices outside of cell phones.
