old.splatterhand
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Yes, biggest hope is, that they launch some useful software for Wear OS alongside the watch itself, that we can all profit from.
Hacks, tricks, news and updates for Wear OS smartwatches (TicWatch, Fossil, Missfit, Skagen, Xiaomi, Oppo, Suunto...)
- Thread starter bernarbernuli
- Start date
Wear OS News 03 to 09 October
October 05 - Google updates Google Phone App: New design
October 05 - Google launches new weather app, but only for Wear OS 3.
October 05 - Google launches Fitbit app for phone.
October 06 - Google launches Google Pixel Watch app, companion app for the phone.
October 06 - Google introduces Pixel Watch: Available from October 13 in only some countries, 24 hours of battery life, Fitbit support, Wifi version $349 and LTE version $399.
October 07 - Google launches Google Home app, but only for Wear OS 3.
October 05 - Google updates Google Phone App: New design
October 05 - Google launches new weather app, but only for Wear OS 3.
October 05 - Google launches Fitbit app for phone.
October 06 - Google launches Google Pixel Watch app, companion app for the phone.
October 06 - Google introduces Pixel Watch: Available from October 13 in only some countries, 24 hours of battery life, Fitbit support, Wifi version $349 and LTE version $399.
October 07 - Google launches Google Home app, but only for Wear OS 3.
Hello everyone,
First off, thanks @bernarbernuli for sharing your knowledge, as a new user of the ticwatch pro 3, I did use a few tips from you.
I had problems receiving image attached to telegram or signal, it works quite irregularly and decided to dig a bit.
I have seen a fix using an alternative telegram client on phone and depreciated telegram wear os app but I wanted signal to works too so I didn't go that route (also prefer having as less wear os app as possible to save battery).
After a few tries, I think I've got a fixed but if someone from the community could also test it to confirm it is working would be great.
To do so:
Go to developers settings on your phone and scroll down to Bluetooth MAP version and switch to 1.4 (mine was set to 1.2).
Turn Off then On Bluetooth on your phone and reboot your watch.
(MAP=Message Access Protocol)
It has been working reliably for a few days now so hoping that will be a permanent fix (fingers crossed)
Side note: if your phone reboot, MAP version will come back to default and you will need to switch version again.
First off, thanks @bernarbernuli for sharing your knowledge, as a new user of the ticwatch pro 3, I did use a few tips from you.
I had problems receiving image attached to telegram or signal, it works quite irregularly and decided to dig a bit.
I have seen a fix using an alternative telegram client on phone and depreciated telegram wear os app but I wanted signal to works too so I didn't go that route (also prefer having as less wear os app as possible to save battery).
After a few tries, I think I've got a fixed but if someone from the community could also test it to confirm it is working would be great.
To do so:
Go to developers settings on your phone and scroll down to Bluetooth MAP version and switch to 1.4 (mine was set to 1.2).
Turn Off then On Bluetooth on your phone and reboot your watch.
(MAP=Message Access Protocol)
It has been working reliably for a few days now so hoping that will be a permanent fix (fingers crossed)
Side note: if your phone reboot, MAP version will come back to default and you will need to switch version again.
Wear OS News 10 to 16 October
- October 09 - It is announced that Pixel Watch will receive at least 3 years of guaranteed updates.
- October 11 - Pixel Watch does not currently include Fitbit's automatic fitness tracking feature.
- October 11 - In an interview with a Wear OS executive announces that they will upgrade Wear OS versions annually as often as they do Android phones, that Wear OS will receive major updates quarterly, that the upgrade to Wear OS 3 for Snapdragon 4100-powered watches will happen before the end of the year, that next year they are adding the fall detector feature to the Pixel Watch.
- October 13 - Fossil launches on October 17 a new watch: Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition
- October 13 - Fossil will update to Wear OS 3 from next October 17 Fossil Gen 6 and Skagen Falster Gen 6 watches, mean that for now Google Assistant will not be added.
Just FYI. Signal is about to stop using SMS ("for security reasons"). QKSMS or Partisan SMS are decent substitutes, perhaps, derivations of Signal. Partisan works with photos as I have just switched over.
Wear OS News 17 to 23 October
- October 17 - Fossil Gen 6 gets updated to Wear OS 3.2, UI is similar to Pixel Watch, though it does not include Google Fit or Google Assisant.
- October 18 - Galaxy Watch 5 receives system update.
- October 18 - It is leaked that Google would be developing Google News app for Wear OS.
- October 20 - It is published that Pixel Watch bootloader has been unlocked by a user.
- October 21 - A workaround for using Google Assistant Wear OS 3 has been leaked.
Wear OS News 24 to 30 October
Am I right that the status of this issue has changed? I was notified by emailI thought that this bug was reported in Google's IssueTracker, since this is not recent, but for years this problem has been there, but it is not, there is nothing similar reported, so I just created an issue about this.
Actually I do not consider it a bug because those who activate "Tilt-to-Wake" can turn on or off the screen with a simple tilt of the wrist, the problem lies in that it is not allowed to choose whether to turn on or off the screen by tilting the wrist.
Google Issue Tracker
issuetracker.google.com
In the report of the link I put a video to better understand the problem, if you are interested in the subject mark the star on the link to give it visibility.
WhatsApp Multi-Device Functional (also with the phone turned off or away from it).
The latest versions of WhatsApp Beta already allow you to use the real multi-device mode, that is, you will be able to use WhatsApp on the watch in the same way as on the phone, even if the phone is turned off. Whatsapp has actually implemented this new feature for tablets, however it works perfectly on Wear OS. You will be able in the same way as on the phone:
The steps to follow to use the full version of WhatsApp are as follows:
Considerations:
The latest versions of WhatsApp Beta already allow you to use the real multi-device mode, that is, you will be able to use WhatsApp on the watch in the same way as on the phone, even if the phone is turned off. Whatsapp has actually implemented this new feature for tablets, however it works perfectly on Wear OS. You will be able in the same way as on the phone:
- Send and receive messages on the watch
- Send, receive and view photos, videos, locations...
- Send, receive and listen to voice messages.
- Call and receive WhatsApp voice calls.
Steps:
The steps to follow to use the full version of WhatsApp are as follows:
- Download latest version of WhatsApp from APKMirror, you must download armeabi-v7a variant.
- Install the APK file in the watch from the phone using the Bugjaeger method, or from the PC with the help of Wear OS Tools.
- On the watch, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Permissions > WhatsApp and grant all permissions (all except camera), also go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Notifications > Show All > WhatsApp and enable notifications.
- On the watch, reduce the screen density to 75 DPI, there are several ways to do this in addition to the following: From Wear OS Tools, with Wear Installer 2 or by directly typing the code
adb shell wm density 75
- Open the app, select "Agree and Continue", and then the process of linking the device to your phone via a QR code at the bottom of the screen begins. If the QR code is not displayed, and you are prompted to enter a phone number, exit the app and re-enter the app repeatedly until the QR code appears (make sure to set the screen density to 75 DPI).
- On the phone, go into WhatsApp and go to the 3 dots on the top right and select "Linked Devices" and scan the QR code on the watch (read below the considerations about this). Once you have paired, you can set the screen size back to default.
adb shell wm density reset
- WhatsApp will close and will not allow you to open it directly from the WhatsApp icon, you must use a "bridge" app (next step) or receive a message to be able to open WhatsApp.
- Install "Open WhatsApp On Wear" app. Open the app, Whatsapp runs, and select the contact. From here you can view the entire conversation and send messages, voice notes, images, videos, locations or initiate a WhatsApp call.
Considerations:
- You do not need to install the Beta version on your phone.
- By lowering the density a lot so that the QR code can be seen on the entire watch screen, it can be difficult to scan the QR because it is so small, you can turn up the brightness to see if it scans it, or you can also take a screenshot from the phone companion app or with Wear OS Tool, the screenshot is sent to the phone/PC, and then scan it from the phone/PC screen.
- The bridging app 'Open WhatsApp On Wear' mentioned above will open WhatsApp, allow you to select a contact and show a single character (a watch emoji). From here, you can type additional text and then tap the Send button, which is just visible. This sends a text message to your contact. You can also make voice calls from here.
- When opening WhatsApp in this way, you won't see the microphone option to send a voice-note. To see the microphone icon, delete the watch emoji by backspacing using the on-screen keyboard. You can now dictate and send a voice-note.
- When receiving incoming WhatsApp notifications on the watch, you receive duplicate notifications (one from the phone WhatsApp replicated on the watch and one from WhatsApp installed on the watch). In order to suppress the double notification:
- On Galaxy Watch 4/5, go to "App Notifications" in developer options, set WhatsApp as blocked, now you will only receive the WhatsApp notification from the phone.
- On Pixel Watch, disable WhatsApp notification permission on the watch using the Watch companion app on the phone.
- On Wear OS 2 devices there is not yet a way to disable one of the notifications, because if you disable it from the companion app, both notifications are disabled and you do not receive any notifications.
- When you receive double notifications, they are differentiated at a glance on the notification curtain that the WhatsApp notification installed on the watch has the WhatsApp icon with no fill in the letter "W", instead the phone WhatsApp notification icon has fill.
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Who knows what the future holds and the interest of larges and small developers in launching versions for Wear OS returns, however, from here I ask any developer reading this, to improve the "bridge" app that I posted in the post, I think it should not be very difficult for a developer.
Basically, it would be to launch an app that skips the step of speaking by voice to transcribe to text, instead, that when running the "bridge" app enters WhatsApp directly (that is, that "behind" the "bridge" app shares to WhatsApp a text that may well be a dot or something short, and enters the list of contacts in WhatsApp "Send to").
That is, just by opening the bridge app WhatsApp is already running, that would be a quick and easy shortcut.
Wear OS News 31 October to 13 November
Well let's hope it goes well otherwise it will suck for the WearOS image lol
Updates for our watch.... silence.
Yes, no information from mobvoi, the development gives me that they have it somewhat delayed, maybe it has something to do with having to develop a companion app on the phone for Wear OS 3.
Thanks @bernarbernuli, works as posted, Looked at the other apps the same dev is offering on playstore, his 40 cents paid app Wassap Open is even better, allows not just the features you mention from his other app, but shows all recent contacts with message exchanges, and allows to open literally everything on the watch.
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Yes, I know it, I did not want to advertise a paid app, plus I do not agree with that self-promotional message of the developer that has the app to start WhatsApp.
A nuance about what you say about this app, the two apps go to the same screen, "send to", only changes the number of steps to get to it, since it already comes with a message of self-promotion, I would recommend that he change it to a dot or similar.
Thanks, dev writes waiting for Playstore to update version without the signature.
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5Wear OS News 20 February to 05 March
- February 21 - Mobvoi's upcoming Ticwatch Pro 5 will come with Snapdragon W5+ processor, 611 mAh battery and Wear OS 3.
- February 27 - Google to update Wear OS 3 in spring with new sound and display modes.
- February 27 - Google Keep updated: Adds 2 complications to make it easier to add notes.
- February 28 - Google Wallet updated with 14 new countries: Armenia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam.
- February 28 - Google will apply new quality requirements to apps developed for Wear OS 3 starting at the end of August.
- February 28 - The fall detection feature unique to Pixel watches is currently being rolled out: it will distinguish between hard falls and exercises such as burpees.
- March 01 - It is leaked that Xiaomi may be developing a watch with Wear OS 3 that could launch later this year.
- March 01 - Google is giving Pixel Watch owners a satisfaction survey about the watch.
- March 02 - A third-party consultant has calculated what it costs Google in terms of raw materials to build Pixel Watch: $123.
4Wear OS News 06 to 19 March
- March 09 - It is leaked that a version of the Pocket Casts client for Wear OS will be released soon.
- March 11 - Google overtakes Samsung to take second place in the wearable device market, second only to Apple Watch.
- March 12 - It is leaked that the next Galaxy Watch 6 from Samsung will incorporate a physical rotating bezel.
- March 17 - Samsung launches a new ruggedized strap for Galaxy Watch 4/5.
2
Nice, we need more brands to show up.
The market is "small" but at the moment it seems that we only have 3/4 solutions, more competition is needed.
Let's see if it will also be something with a lower price. - February 21 - Mobvoi's upcoming Ticwatch Pro 5 will come with Snapdragon W5+ processor, 611 mAh battery and Wear OS 3.
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37Hi, I use and enjoy a Ticwatch Pro 3 watch, and before I had a TicWatch Pro 2020. During this time I have been learning tips for this watch, and some others I knew from when I was playing around with smartphones and I have moved them to the Wear OS world.
I want to share these tricks and hacks that I know that enhance the experience in this watch, in the same way, I invite you to post:
- That trick they know, and a novice at this is completely unaware.
- That super useful application, and that is not the usual one.
- That hidden function, and that you discovered by chance.
- That bug still not fixed with a firmware, and you solve it somehow.
I think it will be interesting for the community, so we will all take advantage of the collective knowledge. I will be compiling the most interesting tips in the initial post, of course mentioning the source.
Although I tested the tricks on Ticwatch Pro 3, they of course work for any Wear OS watch released as of February 2017 (wear OS 2.0).
- Mobvoi: Ticwatch C2, Ticwatch S/E, Ticwatch Pro, Ticwatch Pro 3- Fossil Gen 5, Fossil Gen 6, Fossil Sport...- Missfit Vapor X, Missfit Vapor 2- Skagen Falster, Skagen Falster 2, Skagen Falster 3- Xiaomi mi Watch- OPPO Watch- Huawei Watch 2- Suunto 7- Casio Pro Trek- and more
INDEX:
- How to make a homemade charging and data cable for Ticwatch Pro 3 (easiest method)- How to customize ringtones, notifications and Alarms sounds in Wear OS- WhatsApp, everything you can do on Wear OS- Telegram, everything you can do on Wear OS.- How to change the font style or font size of the Wear OS Interface- What is the downside if you use Galaxy Watch 4/5 paired with a phone that is NOT Samsung?
USES. What can the smartwatch do for you?
From apps built into the smartwatch:- The obvious, show time, call and receive calls.
- Receive notifications I receive on my phone.
- Keep the phone unlocked while wearing the smartwatch (Smart Lock).
- Remember daily agenda (Google Calendar)
- Answer questions on some issues, on other issues it's like asking a monkey (Google Now)
- Set an alarm (Google Clock)
- Pay for purchases (Google Pay)
- Locate lost phone (Google Find my Device)
- Display weather forecast (Google Weather)
- Do quick math calculations (Calculator)
- Monitor physical activity and sleep tracking (Google Fit)
- Monitor heart rate (Google Fit)
From third-party apps:- Take photos/videos remotely with smartwatch (Wrist Camera).
- Remotely view images from my IP camera (Tinycam Monitor Pro)
- Turn on a smart socket or home lights remotely (Macrodroid).
- Listen to podcasts and music from smartwatch (Spotify/WearMedia/Wear Casts).
- Control music/podcasts from your phone (Music Center for Wear).
- Identify the songs you listen to (Shazam).
- View photos on the smartwatch that are contained in the phone (Anytime Gallery for Wear).
- View videos on the smartwatch that are contained in the phone (Video Gallery for Wear OS).
- Use the smartwatch as a remote control for Kodi (Yatse)
- Use the smartwatch as a PC computer mouse or a wireless game controller (WearMouse).
- Learn languages with the smartwatch (Duolingo).
- Take notes, make shopping lists and remember tasks (Google Keep).
- Translate conversations (Google Translator)
- Generate 2FA two-factor authentication codes (Authenticator Pro)
- Display my Covid Green Pass QR code (Wear Codes)
- Use my smartwatch to decide things for me with random numbers (Flip)
- Start my car (Dronemobile)
- Display the altitude and atmospheric pressure of your location (altimeter-barometer).
- Record a conversation (Wear Audio Recorder).
- Follow a strength training session (Seven)
- Follow a hiking route and guide you (ViewRanger).
- Follow the most recommended route on foot and by car and guide you (Google Maps).
- Follow the most recommended route by public transport and guide you (CityMapper).
- Request a transport to go from one place to another (Uber).
- Show my loyalty card when I go to the supermarket (Stocard).
- Being able to chat via messenger (Telegram)
- Make video calls (Glide)
- Relax when I'm stressed or nervous (Calm)
- Entertain me with a casual game (Infinity Loop)
- Remind me to drink water (Water drink reminder)
CUSTOMIZATION. What can you do for the smartwatch?
- Watchfaces and bands.
- Invert the watch interface 180º so that it can be used by left-handed people (Lefty)
- Configure the smartwatch's physical buttons to launch your favorite apps (Button Launcher)
- Add shortcuts to your favorite apps (Wear Favrite Apps Launcher)
- Add shortcuts to "Tilt to wake" and "Always on screen" modes (Toggler)
- Improve the way you receive notifications (Informer)
- Customize vibration patterns for each notification that arrives on the watch (Feel the Wear)
- Replace keyboard more adapted to small screens like the smartwatch (Multitap Wear Keyboard)
- Replace animation when you are charging the smartwatch (Wear Charging Widget)
- Fix known bug for notifications coming from Google apps (Wear Remidwer 2)
- Fix known bug so you can call and send SMS and whatsapp messages using voice commands (Wear Text)
- Fix known bug so you can open watch apps using voice commands (Wear Voice Opener)
- Fix known bug to use the GPS signal of the watch instead of the phone (Wear GPS Fix)
SOME SHORT ANSWER SOLUTIONS
1. How can I contact Wear OS technical support to report issues and request new features?
2. How can I contact Mobvoi technical support and other manufacturers?
3. How can you set up so that only certain apps send notifications to the watch?
4. How to use the watch's own GPS?
5. How to automatically unlock the phone with the help of the watch and Smart Lock?
6. How to get to the buttons in the corners of non-optimized apps on Wear OS?
7. How to take a screenshot?
8. Where to download latest ADB Tools?
9. How do I force a system upgrade?
10. Where can I see the code name of the watch?
11. How do I reset to factory default?
12. Can I root and flash a Custom ROM on the Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS/LTE?
13. How to prevent (or allow) the display to turn on when tilting the wrist?
14. How to prevent (or allow) the backlight to be activated in essential mode when tilting the wrist (Ticwatch only)?
15. How to prevent the display from turning off when tilting the wrist, i.e. only turning off for the value that has been set for the screen timeout.
16. How to force the display to stay permanently on when you are doing sports such as running or similar?
17. My watch constantly asks me for my PIN or unlock pattern, how can I avoid it?
18. Every time I make a payment with Google Pay it asks me for my PIN or unlock pattern, how to avoid it?
19. How to replace ringtone sound with a custom sound?
20. How can I customize the notifications I receive on my watch?
21. How to activate any eSIM in any Wear OS watch with 4G/LTE connectivity?
22. How to avoid that when you receive missed calls with the watch connected to the phone via Bluetooth, the missed call notification is discarded from the phone?
23. How to force Google reminders and notifications to be notified on the watch?
How to transfer files to / from watch via Wi-Fi (even if you are not at home)
To send to the watch and/or receive from the watch files (e.g. music) the easiest way is through the USB cable but there are some watches, like the Ticwatch Pro 3 that can only be sent through the Wi-Fi network (Mobvoi does not include USB data cable with the watch). If this is your case, or because you prefer other methods, here's how.
It is possible to remotely access the watch from your computer or phone wirelessly, using the FTP protocol. You can copy the files you have stored in the internal storage of the watch to the computer, or send files from the computer to the watch, like music, videos, texts, etc. The only requirement is that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
To do this, follow the steps below:
- Download from the Play Store and install the NavExplorer application on the watch.
- Open app and go to the top menu, click on the Wi-Fi icon.
- It shows you an address with the structure: ftp://Watch_IP:2122. This activates the FTP server.
- If you would like to access from...
- From the computer, open Windows Explorer, and in the upper part of the window, in the folder path, type the address of point 3.
- From the phone use an advanced file manager, for example Solid Explorer. Open the application, select Storage Manager > "+" > FTP, and follow the instructions, basically put the address and the port number, which is 2122.
Bugjaeger Mobile ADB
Another alternative, in this case from the phone and via Wi-Fi, is to use the Bugjaeger Mobile ADB app. You don't need to install anything on the watch, the app is an adb command emulator that can be run from an android phone. To connect and be able to run the functions, just do the following:
- On the watch, go to Settings > System > About and tap "Build number" several times until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Then go to Settings > Developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debugging over Wi-Fi".
- Make sure both your watch and mobile are connected to the same wifi network, momentarily disable bluetooth on your watch if Wi-Fi is not enabled on the watch. Now go to Settings > Connectivity > Wifi, click on the network you are connected to and enter the IP of your network.
- In the Bugjaeger app on your phone, click on the plug icon, enter the IP of your network and click "Connect".
- When connected you will see a notification appear on your watch where you have to give permission to link the phone to the watch, so click on "Always allow from this computer". Now in the app you will see the notification "Connected" and you will see the list of apps that are on the watch.
How to send files to the watch without Wi-Fi network (from outside the home).
Sending files to the watch from a smartphone can be done in 2 ways: Via USB cable and via Wi-Fi network. It happens that there are times when you are not at home and you want to send music to the watch or send an APK file to install it. The solution to this is by activating the shared Wi-Fi connection of the phone, and pretend it is your home network.
- On the phone, go to settings > Other wireless connections and turn on "Wi-Fi data sharing".
- Within the Wi-Fi data sharing settings, replace the Wi-Fi network name and password and enter the same name and password as your home Wi-Fi network, this way the watch will connect automatically and you won't need to enter the password on the watch.
- Now, on the watch and if you haven't already done so, go to Settings > System > About and tap "Build number" several times until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Next go to Settings > Developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debugging over Wi-Fi".
- Next make sure both your watch and phone are connected to the same wifi network, momentarily disable bluetooth on your watch if Wi-Fi is not enabled on the watch. Now go to Settings > Connectivity > Wifi, click on the network you are connected to and enter the IP you will see.
- On your phone, install Bugjaeger (if you haven't already) and run it, click on the plug icon, enter the IP of your network and click "Connect".
- When connected you will see a notification appear on your watch where you have to give permission to link the phone to the watch, so click on "Always allow from this computer". Now in the app you will see the "Connected" notification and from the app you will be able to send files (Files tab) or install APKs (Packages tab).
How to use an alternative keyboard
One of the most uncomfortable functions in the smartwatch is having to use the keyboard on a 1.4 inch screen. You rarely need to write something from the watch, at least I do, but sometimes it happens, like when an app asks to log in with a username and password. Typing from the watch's built-in keyboard is tormenting. Smartwatches are not designed to answer messages, although of course it is possible.
To solve this problem there are applications like AOSP WIFI Keyboard that allows you to link the keyboard of your Computer to the watch by using the local Wi-Fi network, so that the computer keyboard can be used to type on the watch. The only requirement is that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network .
To link the keyboard and start using this typing option, follow these steps:
- Download the application here and install it on the watch (for example, with Bugjaeger). The application is in the Play Store, but since it is not an application optimized for WearOS, you will not find it from the watch's Play Store search engine.
- Once installed go to Settings > Personalization > Input methods > Manage keyboards , and activate the option AOSP Wifi Keyboard.
- Now when you want to use Wifi Keyboard, press and hold the keyboard icon in any text input field and select AOSP Wi-Fi Keyboard.
- Open your computer's browser, and type 'http://watch_ip:7777', for example, http://192.168.1.92:7777. A web page will open from which to write, and each time you press ENTER the text will be transmitted to the watch.
Considerations: - If you don't know how to install apk files like the one in step 1, go to "How to install apps on Wear OS. all Methods".
- The smartwatch IP is obtained in the Wi-Fi settings. Pressing on your Wifi network.
- To go back to the previous keyboard, just do step 3.
How to prepare watch for advanced functions
What you are doing with the following steps is enabling the watch to receive instructions via ADB. The ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge. As its name suggests, it is a tool through which the command console of our computer will act as a bridge between it and the phone. Thanks to it, we can send commands to the phone, such as install applications, take screenshots, etc.
- On your computer, download and install the ADB tools, such as 15 seconds ADB Installer.
- On the watch, go to Settings > system > About and repeatedly tap ' Build number ' until You see a message that says 'You are now a developer'. Then go to Settings > developer options and enable 'ADB debugging' and 'Debugging over Wi-Fi '.
How to install apps on Wear OS. All methods.
Currently in Wear OS there are six methods (that I know of) for installing apps on the watch, each more convenient to use depending on the situation:
- The first method is the obvious one, that is, through the Play Store of the watch, you search for the app you are interested in, install it and that's it. In the watch's search engine only apps optimized for Wear OS will appear.
- The second method, is installing apps from Play Store on your phone (or computer). You search in the Play Store for a Wear OS compatible app (from the Wear OS category in Apps > Categories > Wear OS or search and activate the 'Watch' or 'Watch faces' filter). Once you have located a Wear OS compatible app, when you open the app's tab you will see a drop-down in 'Install' button that allows you to select, or uncheck, if you want that app to be installed on the phone and/or watch. By default the apps will be installed on the phone and watch.If you already had an app installed on your phone and now you also want to install it on your watch, you will see a dropdown called 'Available on more devices'. When you open its options you will see that it will allow you to install the app on the watch.
- The third method, is installing apps from the phone, using an app called "Wear Installer" (by the developer u/malbry) which will act as a bridge between the phone and the watch. This method is recommended when the application not found in the Play Store and you want to install uses the old embedded application model, which means that the version of an app for Wear OS is added inside the version for Android phones. This application filters the applications installed on the phone (or simply downloaded to the internal memory) that contain the app optimized for Wear OS. When you choose to install, it sends it over Wi-Fi and installs the Wear OS-specific module that is contained within the phone app. In the section "Install apps from the phone (Wear Installer)" I explain how to install it.
- The fourth method, is installing apps from a computer and through ADB commands. This method should be used when you want to install from your computer applications that is not found in the Play Store. With this method you could install any android application whether it is optimized for Wear OS or not. I explain this method in the section "Install apps from a computer (ADB commands)".
- The fifth method, is installing apps from the phone, using an app called "Bugjaeger Mobile ADB". No "bridge" app is needed on the watch, the app is an adb command emulator that can be run from an android phone. This method is recommended when you want to install an app that is not found in the Play Store, or the app is not optimized for Wear OS. Below I explain in more detail in the section "Install apps from the phone (Bugjaeger Mobile ADB)".
- The sixth method, is installing apps from the phone, using an app called "Easy Fire Tools". It is very similar to Bugjaeger and therefore would be recommended in the same situations as for Bugjaeger.
3rd Method. Install apps from the phone (Wear Installer).
This method should be used when you want to install from the phone applications that are not hosted on the Play Store, however these apps must be optimized for Wear OS. The steps for installing and using Wear Installer are as follows:
1. On the phone, download Wear installer here and install.
2. On the watch, open Play Store and click on the "Apps on your phone" option.
3. There you should see the "Wear installer" app. Finally install it.
4. On the watch enable debugging, to do this go to Settings > system > About and tap several times "Build number" until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Next go to Settings > developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debugging over Wi-Fi".
5. On the phone open "Wear installer" app and press OK. You will see 2 tabs, the first one is the list of all the apps installed on your phone, and the second tab is the list of the apps you have downloaded to the phone (apk files) and found in the "Download" folder.
6. Select the app you want to install on the watch, it must have the Wear OS apk inside for it to be installed. Accept the debugging on the watch and Wear Installer will extract the component, send it and install it on the watch.
4th Method. Install applications from a computer (ADB commands)
This method should be used when you want to install from your computer applications that are not hosted on the Play Store. With this method you could install any android application whether it is optimized for Wear OS or not. The steps for Windows environment are as follows:
1. If you have not done so yet, follow the steps in 'Prepare watch for advanced functions '.
2. On your computer, open a command window, to do this in Windows type 'cmd' in the toolbar.
3. Then enter the following command to connect to the watch. Then accept a message on the clock that allows the computer to connect.
Code:adb connect watch_ip:5555
4. Now, it is the step to send the apk application to the watch, install it and delete apk file finally. Make sure to enter the path correctly in the following commands.
Code:adb -e install filename.apk - Step 3 and 4 you can also do in one command: adb -s watch_ip:5555 install -r filename.apkadb push filename.apk /sdcard/
5th method. Install apps from the phone (Bugjaeger Mobile ADB)
Another alternative, in this case from the phone and via Wi-Fi, is to use the Bugjaeger Mobile ADB app. You don't need to install anything on the watch, the app is an adb command emulator that can be run from an android phone. To connect and be able to run the functions, just do the following:
- On the watch, go to Settings > System > About and tap "Build number" several times until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Then go to Settings > Developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debugging over Wi-Fi".
- Make sure both your watch and mobile are connected to the same wifi network, momentarily disable bluetooth on your watch if Wi-Fi is not enabled on the watch. Now go to Settings > Connectivity > Wifi, click on the network you are connected to and enter the IP of your network.
- In the Bugjaeger app on your phone, click on the plug icon, enter the IP of your network and click "Connect".
- When connected you will see a notification appear on your watch where you have to give permission to link the phone to the watch, so click on "Always allow from this computer". Now in the app you will see the notification "Connected".
- Now go to the "Packages" tab, click on the "+" icon at the top, and choose to install on the watch an apk file that is downloaded to the phone, or an application installed on the phone.
Interesting apps outside Play Store.
Now that you know the different methods for installing apps I'm going to recommend several apps that are outside the Play Store servers, and explain which is the proper method to install them:
Wear Text is an app for making phone calls or sending a text or WhatsApp message using voice commands. Currently (and for a long time now) Google Assistant does not allow you to do this and hasn't fixed it either.Installation and configuration:- Download and install Wear Text on the phone. Then install the watch version of the app using Wear Installer or Bugjaeger.
- Open the app on the phone and accept the permissions to manage calls and SMS messages. Once inside the app enter the name of a contact with one word, followed by a comma and the phone number without spaces (you must include the country code). If you want to send messages to certain contacts, preferably whatsapp messages instead of SMS messages, include the letter "W" after the phone number. As an example, it would look like this: Susana,+34666123456:W.
- If the language you speak is not English, set in your own language the word "call" in the option "Set Call Word" found by pressing the 3 dots in the upper right corner.
- On the phone, set your watch as a trusted device for smart lock and grant accessibility access to Wear Text. This way you will be able to send WhatsApp messages using Wear.
- Finally, press "Save" and you're done.
How Use:The idea is that you can assign the app to a physical button (I recommend the Button Launcher app for the possibilities it offers you) and then open other apps by just saying its name.- Launch the Auto Text app on the watch. You can assign the app to a physical button (I recommend the Button Launcher app for the possibilities it offers).
- If you want to send a message say a sentence like "Susana I will be home in 30 minutes. As in that contact the "W" mark was included the message will be sent by Whatsapp.
- If you want to initiate a call , say "call Susana"
Considerations:- Note that once installed on your watch, Wear Text changes its name to Auto Text, which is easier to name it for voice recognition.
- Before putting your contact names and numbers in the phone app, delete all the sample text that is already there.
- To send whatsapp messages the screen must be enabled and unlocked, so to do that automatically you need the watch to be set as trusted device in Smart Lock and enabled accessibility permissions in the phone settings.
- The phone needs Internet access to be able to parse the voice command on the watch (either wifi or mobile data).
- On Xiaomi Phones it seems that Google Smart Lock does not work for WearOS devices, therefore Wear Text will not be able to activate the phone to send WhatsApp messages or make phone calls.
- Especially if the language you speak is not English, the voice recognition on your watch may not recognize the contact's name correctly. If this happens try changing the contact's word to something more easily recognizable.
- In recent months the Google Assistant function to launch an app by saying "Open (app name)" has also been "capped". I recommend customizing a physical button to launch Wear Text (Auto Text), or configuring it from the "Button Launcher" app. You can also launch the app from Wear Voice Opener which would be an alternative solution while waiting for the official one. This app is described below.
Fit Strength Training: (Installation method 3, 4 and 5)
Update May 11, 2021: Unfortunately, the latest Google Fit update has broken this solution. Google has completely removed the old strength training code.
Application that restores the strength training functionality (weight machines, dumbbell exercises...) that was removed from Google Fit for Wear OS in November 2020. This functionality very accurately detected repetitions and automatically recognized the exercise you were performing based on the repetitive motion you were performing. It was also possible to time the rest times between sets. Now the new Google Fit, for strength training, is only limited to track heart rate and cardio points, also showing on screen the time and the stopwatch. More info about this.
Alti-Barometer: (installation method 3, 4 and 5)
Application that collects every 5 minutes the atmospheric pressure and altitude in real time. It also shows a graph of the atmospheric pressure and altitude of the last 6 hours and notifies in case of possible storm in the place where you are according to the acquired meteorological data.
AOSP WIFI Keyboard: (installation method 4 and 5)
Application with which you can write on the watch from the computer, I explain in detail in the section "Using an alternative keyboard" of first post. This app was not created for Wear OS, but it is fully functional.
Spotify Lite MOD: (installation method 4 and 5)
Spotify Lite is a reduced version of the official application in terms of size and features, however it is only intended for android phones. This version is modified and adapted to small screens such as watches with Wear OS and also, unlike the official version of Spotify for Wear OS, you can play music without depending on having the official app on the phone. It is not a player to listen to music that you have inside the watch, only to listen to streaming music.
Download here. The latest published version is based on Spotify Lite v1.5.84.89.
How to install them on the watch:
- The applications that are indicated to be installed with the third method of the six methods currently available is because the specific component for Wear OS is inside the specific application for the phone, it is explained how to install from that method in the section "Install applications from the phone (Wear Installer) of first post, for now you can also install from the play store of the watch.
1. From the phone, click and download from the links of each app and install.
2. On the watch, open Play Store, and click on the "Apps on your phone" option.
3. There you should see the app you installed on the phone. Finally you install it and that's it
It is not useful to install these applications from fourth or fifth method because if you do it, the version for the phone will be installed on the watch.
- The applications that are indicated to be installed with the fourth method are those that are NOT optimized for Wear OS because they were created for phones, but work without problems on the watch. It is explained how to install from that method in the section "Install apps from a computer (ADB commands)" of first post.
- The apps noted that can be installed interchangeably with the third, fourth or fifth method are those that are optimized for Wear OS.
Why are they not on the Play Store?
Because Google does not approve this kind of apps, for example, Fit Strenght trainig recovers a function that google removed (I still don't know why).
Watch Faces from the Play Store that I like
When it comes to customizing your watch the watch face you display on the screen is of utmost importance. It should fit your personal style, display the information most important to you and look good. Personally I like watch faces that have a clean, minimalist style and are easy to use, and at the same time are functional and I can customize them with the complications I use the most. There are many in the Play Store these are the ones I like the most and that more than meet the conditions outlined above, and all are free.
Note: Complications are the non-interactive widgets that are implemented inside the watch faces, for example, a distance traveled indicator is a complication.
Looks Watch Faces (Download here).It is a collection of 9 types of watch faces for different tastes and daily needs. You can fully customize the complications. Personally I like the Portions and Quoti models the most.
Moods Watch Faces (Download here).Another collection of watch faces from the same developer that Looks for different styles and same level of customization.
A/D Watchfaces (Download here)It is characterized by combining an analog watch with a digital watch. It supports up to four complications, You can configure the font and colors, also has several numerical designs.
Pixel Watch face - Minimal pixel style watch face (Download here)Minimalist design, optimized for the greatest possible energy savings.
How to install Watch Faces on the watch:
From the watch:
1. Open Play Store, search for the watch face and press install.2. Press and hold the current watch face and swipe to the right until you see "add more watch faces".3. Select the new watch face and customize it.
From the phone:
1. Make sure the phone is connected to the watch.2. Open Play Store on the phone, search for the watch face and press install.3. In a few seconds the watch face will appear on the watch, and finally customized
23How to change the watch resolution
The smartwatch screen is about 1.4 inches, there are applications especially those that you install outside the Play Store that are not optimized for Wear OS although they are functional. This implies that elements of the application interface are hidden because the screen is so small. For this there are some adb commands to temporarily modify the screen resolution (DPI) by following the following steps:
1. If you have not done it yet, follow the steps in the section 'Prepare watch for advanced functions '
2. On your computer, open a command window, for this in Windows type 'cmd' in the toolbar.
3. Then enter the following command to connect to the watch. It then accepts a message on the watch that allows the computer to connect.
Code:adb connect watch_ip:5555
4. Now, is the step to change the density of pixels on the screen (DPI), type one of these commands:
Code:adb shell wm density ---> To display the current screen density adb shell wm density 180 ---> To apply a custom density, for example 180 adb shell wm density reset ---> To restore the default density of the watch
Considerations:
- Note that altering its DPI can cause the Google Play Store to incorrectly label the watch as incompatible when downloading apps. This is because developers limit the compatibility of their application based on the DPI value of a device. So if for any reason you get an error, all you have to do is go back to your original DPI and download the app again. Once you have installed the application, you can go back to its custom DPI.
- As an alternative to using ADB commands, you can change the screen density with Budjaeger app, via phone.
How to troubleshoot boot problems. Bootloader Mode and Recovery Mode.
In addition to the normal boot, there are two other system boot modes. Bootloader or Fastboot mode and Recovery mode. Both modes can be entered through combinations of the physical buttons or by using adb commands. Knowing these boot methods can save you from a tricky situation where, for example, the screen is unresponsive or the watch is locked.
Bootloader mode can be entered by simultaneously holding down the 2 buttons until you feel a vibration, about 8 seconds and it will reboot into that mode, I don't know what the procedure is with 1 or 3 button watches. Recovery mode can be entered from the options offered in Bootloader mode.
You can also enter these 2 modes from a command line by typing "adb reboot bootloader" or "adb reboot recovery". Follow only the first 4 steps to enter these modes in the section below where I explain how to unlock the bootloader.
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What is the Bootloader.
The Bootloader is like the BIOS on a PC computer. It is the first thing that is executed when the clock starts, from there the instructions to boot the kernel of the operating system are launched. The manufacturer, in this case, of the watch, usually keeps this bootloader locked as a security measure, and it is basically to make sure that only the version of the operating system that he has created can be booted.
However, many watches (and Android devices) can be unlocked so that custom firmwares can be installed or the device can be rooted. For now, this is not the case for the Ticwach Pro 3 as no effective way to root it has yet been discovered and no custom ROM has been created; however, on the Ticwatch Pro there is a lot more movement, and in fact there is a thread in forum where they explain how to flash an interesting custom ROM and root the watch, basically flashing from bootloader mode through the command line with ADB instructions. During the half year that I used this model I had flashed this ROM, it was clearly perceived a greater fluidity and a significant improvement in battery life. I recommend it for those who have enough knowledge to do it, I must say that if you unlock the bootloader, except in rare cases, you lose the warranty, as this is a deep modification in the software. In fact, some android devices (I guess Wear OS watches too) have security mechanisms so that, even if we close the bootloader again, there is a record that this was previously opened, and with this data would be enough to not provide warranty. On the other hand, when you unlock the bootloader, it resets the watch to factory state (factory reset) so your personal settings and apps that you had installed will be deleted, since important changes are made in the way the watch manages the boot.
In short, if you want to customize your watch as much as possible, unlocking the bootloader is a good option. On the contrary, if you want to use the original firmware and not take risks, it is better to leave it locked, to make sure that there is nothing "strange" at the level of deep system modifications. I reiterate that with the Ticwatch Pro 3 little you can do (for now) with the bootloader unlocked, in other watches for sure this is more advanced.
How to unlock the bootloader
- If you haven't done it yet, follow the steps in the "Prepare watch for advanced features" section of the first post.
- On the computer, open a command window, for this in Windows type "cmd" in the start bar.
- Then enter the following command to connect to the clock. Accept then a message on the clock that allows the computer to connect.
Code:adb connect IP_of_watch:5555 - Now, it is the step to reboot the clock in bootloader mode.
Code:adb reboot bootloader
- Already from bootloader mode will not work debugging via Wi-Fi, as the watch in this mode does not connect to the Wi-Fi network, it will only work with a USB cable. If you have already plugged in the cable, run any of the following commands (whichever works) to unlock the bootloader on your Wear OS watch.
Code:fastboot oem unlock OR fastboot flashing unlock
- Press the top button on the watch to accept the bootloader unlock request, the watch will be formatted and rebooted back into bootloader mode. On the bottom line on the bootloader screen you should read "unlocked:yes" . Now you can reboot your watch in normal boot using the following command:
Code:adb reboot
What can you do in Bootloader Mode?
Besides unlocking the bootloader, to root the watch and/or flash another ROM, from this mode you can choose several options. You scroll with the lower button and choose with the upper button.
- Recovery Mode - Logically enter recovery mode.
- Boot to FFBM - Factory Boot Mode. Resets the watch to factory settings although I didn't notice any difference compared to a normal boot on the Ticwatch pro 3.
- Enter Ship Mode - This is a low power state that prolongs battery life and protects the battery when there are extended periods of non-use. It appears to be used by the manufacturer in the stage prior to sale and shipment to the end user. You exit this state by pressing and holding the top button.
What is and what can you do in Recovery mode?
Recovery mode is exactly what its name suggests, recovering the system in case of problems. Actually it is similar to Download mode, however the goal of Recovery mode is to fix problems with the system, Download mode is more focused on changing the system completely by flashing another ROM for example.
Recovery mode is entered from Download mode, once you have rebooted you will see an exclamation mark on the screen, press and hold the top button while swiping the screen with your finger from bottom to top. You will then see the Recovery mode with several options, you scroll the same as in Download mode, in this case it is also enabled touch scrolling. From the options I highlight "Wipe data/Factory Reset" and "Wipe cache partition" to remove personal settings and leave the watch as factory default, techniques that can solve some problems with the watch.
Functionality of Ticwatch Pro 3 buttons.
Wear OS devices predominantly use the touch screen for interaction, but physical buttons can also be used. Below I list the default functions of the Ticwatch Pro 3 buttons.
From normal mode:
- Top button short press (from essential screen): Activates AMOLED screen.- Top button short press (from AMOLED screen): Opens app drawer.- Top button long press: Activates Google Assistant.- Top button double press: Increases screen brightness to maximum.- Bottom button short press: Activates the application of your choice.- Bottom button long press: Activates menu with different functions, such as speaker drain water, switch to essential mode and reboot/shutdown.- Bottom button double press: Activates Google Pay (in countries that support it).- Top button and Bottom button (simultaneous) long press: Take screenshot.- Top button and Bottom button (simultaneous) long press (+ than 8 seconds): Reset in Bootloader mode..
From Essential mode (low power mode):
- Top button short press: Turn on/off display backlight.- Top button long press: Reset watch.- Bottom button short press: Measures heart rate.
Also with the help of a third party app, Button Launcher, you can increase the functionality of these buttons, and you can program them to activate the apps or functions you want depending on the combinations of short presses and long presses you make.
For watches with 1 button, only two actions can be programmed:- long press- long press (2 times)For watches with at least 2 buttons, up to eight actions are allowed to be programmed:- Top button long press: You could replace the default (Google Assistant).- Top button long press (2 times).- Top button long press + Bottom button short press.- Top button long press + Bottom button long press- Bottom button short press- Bottom button short press (2 times) - Bottom button short press + top button long press - Bottom button short press + Bottom button long pressNote: In order for you to configure combinations starting with the bottom button, you must select "Button Launcher" under Setting > Customization > Customize Hardware Buttons.
Measures to extend the battery life of watch
If you don't need...
- Adaptive brightness (auto brightness), you can turn it off in Settings > Display > adjust brightness, and adjust the brightness to an intermediate level. Remember, the brighter the screen, the more battery is used.
- "Tilt-to-Wake", you can disable it in Settings > Gestures, also from the Wear OS app of the phone. With this feature enabled when a notification arrives the screen lights up when you lift your wrist, if you disable this feature the notification will still arrive but will not be displayed on the screen until you turn it on with the button.
- "Touch to Wake", you can disable it in Settings > Gestures. With this feature enabled when a notification arrives the screen lights up when touches the screen, if you disable this feature the notification will still arrive but will not be displayed on the screen until you turn it on with the button.
- "always-on Screen", you can disable it in Settings > Display, also from the app Wear OS of the phone. By disabling this option the screen turns off when not in use, also in Ticwatch this feature is less necessary than in any other watch as it replaces the screen is completely off by a screen in essential mode so it would always show the time.
- "OK Google Detection", you can disable the option in Settings > Personalization. The Google Assistant can also be activated by pressing and holding the top button, or by sliding the watch face to the left.
- Wi-Fi connection, you can disable it in Settings > Connectivity > Wi-Fi. In this way you avoid that it is constantly looking for connection when you are not at home, or away from any Wi-Fi network you use, however Wear OS automates this issue, and disables it automatically if it is not necessary, for example, when it is connected by bluetooth to the phone disables the Wi-Fi connection.
- Notifications (or certain notifications) that appear on the watch, you can configure the notifications you do not need in the phone app "Wear OS by Google", in the option notifications. By default the watch constantly synchronizes all emails, messages and reminders, you can thus disable the notifications that you do not need to be notified by your watch.
- Background heart rate monitor (from Google Fit), you can disable it in the settings of Google Fit. If you do not have any cardiac pathology there is no reason to be measuring your pulse all day if you are not doing some kind of sport.
- Watch face with bright colors, animations or with various interactive capabilities, try another watch face. I recommend for low resource consumption Pixel Watch face.
In Mobvoi apps if you don't need to have activated...
Mobvoi, Fossil, Oppo, Xiami, etc. preinstall their own apps in their watches that complement Google applications, most are usually sports-oriented applications. Below I list monitors that act in the background in Ticwatch watches, however it can be extrapolated to the watches of other brands as they will have these monitors or similar.
- 24 hour Tracking (heart rate monitor): Same opinion as the Google Fit monitor. You can disable it in the settings of TicPulse.
- 24 hour automatic background monitoring (blood oxygen monitor): It makes oxygen saturation measurements every hour, in normal health conditions continuous monitoring is not necessary. There are leaks that in upcoming updates of Google Fit will implement a SpO2 monitor, for now there is no alternative. You can disable it in the settings of TicOxygen.
- 24 hour stress monitoring: Check stress level every half hour. You can deactivate it in the settings of TicZen.
- Automatic sport detection (TicMotion): Detects the activity you do according to the type of continuous movement you do for a few minutes. If you don't see it useful or you prefer to manually select the sport you are going to practice it can be disabled in the settings of TicExercise.
Other meassures:
- TicSleep: The application requires to have the heart rate monitor and the blood oxygen monitor activated to monitor while you sleep. From the app, in the settings you can customize the non-monitoring times for heart rate and blood oxygen, for example so that it only monitors at your usual sleep time.
- Do track in the "Wear OS by Google" phone app which apps are consuming the most battery. You see it in Advanced Settings > Watch Battery. It also gives you information on the estimated battery life remaining and a graph showing how it has been draining.
- Disabling Mobvoi's preinstalled apps, personally I don't use any of their health and fitness apps, I find more reliable for now, Google Fit (even though I have to do without SpO2 measurement). Disabling the apps I make sure they are not running in the background, another time I will expand information about this.
These are several measures that can help, however, there are no miracles, and if now it lasts 1 or 2 days at most and applying all the measures you will gain maybe 1 day more, it is not a super improvement if in return you have limited many of the functions that the watch can offer you. My advice would be a middle ground and that you will disable what you need the least, or that will interfere the least in your daily use of the watch.
Also you have to take into account the use that you give to the watch, if you daily monitor your workouts that you do, like running, walking, elliptical, etc, 1 hour for example, the battery will last much less than if you only use it to receive notifications. The old Nokia phone battery lasted several weeks, with the advent of smartphones you were forced to recharge the phone almost every day, hopefully every 2 or 3 days, because with the smartwatch is happening the same thing, we must be aware that the smartwatch consumes a lot of battery, and are not old casio that lasted you the watch battery years.
How to disable the Watch's Bloatware. Mobvoi applications.
The Ticwatch watches, and specifically the Ticwatch Pro 3 has preinstalled several health & fitness apps with which you can monitor your sports workouts and sleep cycles, as well as other apps to measure your stress level and ambient noise level. Also preinstalled on the watch are several watchfaces created by Mobvoi and other applications such as calculator, voice notes and an alternative to the Wear OS launcher. All of these apps are from Mobvoi.
To put this post in context, I give my opinion about Mobvoi apps:
- TicExercise in each update is improving but today I personally miscounts the distances in the workouts I do. In this case I use Google Fit and Runtastic although they are not perfect either, they lack for example to monitor blood oxygen (it seems that in future updates of Wear OS they will implement it in Google Fit) and of course a much more complete statistics.
- TicSleep, TicZen/TicBreathe and TicHearing, I do not use them either, in my case I do not need to monitor my sleep cycle, nor the level of stress I have, nor the level of ambient noise.
- TicHealth, TicPulse, TicOxygen, for what has been said in the two previous points are not necessary for me.
- The Mobvoi preinstalled watchfaces I don't like any of them.
- Calculator, voice memo and launcher are perhaps the only things I use from Mobvoi.
Those who regularly use apps to monitor their sports workouts with the phone already have a favorite (such as Strava, Runtastic, Google Fit and a few others). Many of us have used them with the phone and in the servers of these apps we have our history of records, so many of us want to use these apps on the watch, and here comes the question, why do you want all that "bloat" of Mobvoi if you do not use it, which in many cases is working in the background and consuming battery without giving any use.
To remedy this you can disable Mobvoi apps that you don't need. In the Ticwatch Pro 3 are preinstalled all you see in the list below. There are 20 packages. They can be disabled in 2 ways, via ADB commands, or through the watch settings. In the table, the 1st column is how the application is identified when you use ADB commands, and the 2nd column is how it is identified from the watch settings.
Disable from watch Settings (note the considerations below).
Go to settings > Apps & Notifications > App Info > System Apps. From there you can disable (and enable again) all the mobvoi apps I show in the box (second column), except com.mobvoi.wear.mcuservice.aw and TicSystem. These if you want to disable them will have to be through ADB commands.
Disable through ADB commands (note the considerations below)
- If you have not already done so, follow the steps in the "Prepare watch for advanced functions" section of the first post.
- On the computer, open a command window, for this in Windows type "cmd" in the start bar.
- Then enter the following command to connect to watch. It then accepts a message on watch that allows the computer to connect.
.Code:adb connect IP_of_watch:5555 - Now, it is the step to check which Mobvoi applications are installed. The -e parameter (will filter enabled applications) can be replaced by the -d parameter (disabled applications):
Code:adb shell pm list packages -e mobvoi | sort
- To disable Mobvoi applications one by one (it does not uninstall), you can use the following command:
Code:adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 <package_name> Example: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.mobvoi.wear.fitness.aw
- If you would like to re-enable movboi apps, use the following commands:
Code:adb shell pm list packages -d mobvoi | sort adb shell pm enable <package_name>
Considerations:
- Disabling these apps will not damage the watch in any way. You will simply lose access to the services they provide, which, if you don't need or use them you won't care. You also prevent any personal data or metrics from being collected by Mobvoi.
- I recommend NOT disabling com.mobvoi.wear.mcuservice.aw. If you disable it it will not go into essential mode when restarting the watch. Doing tests I check when I disable this package it enters in essential mode but when I reboot it doesn't, the package was kept in RAM memory.
- If you want to keep the secondary button menu (when you long press), do not disable com.mobvoi.wear.system.aw and com.mobvoi.wear.mcuservice.aw.
- If you also want to keep the water draining function from the right-click menu of the previous item, do not disable com.mobvoi.wear.fitness.aw.
- If you want to keep the animation shown on watch when you charge watch, do not disable com.mobvoi.wear.system.aw. If you disable it, it will charge anyway, it is only aesthetic, you can install as an alternative Wear Charging Widget, it applies a nice animation when you charge the watch.
- If you want to keep TicMotion (Automatic sport detection), don't disable com.mobvoi.wear.health.aw and com.mobvoi.wear.fitness.aw.
- If you disable TicSleep, and you are interested in monitoring your sleep cycles, there is an alternative app that is highly recommended, Sleep as Android.
- If you disable LauncherTic, the default Wear OS launcher will run (you can test this by disabling "Enable other launcher" in Settings > Customization).
- If you disable Watchface, you can install other watch faces from the play Store, I recommend some in the "Watch Faces from the Play Store that I like" section of the first post.
- If you do a factory reset all mobvoi apps will be re-enabled, and I think when you update the firmware as well (I haven't checked yet). However, the disabling process is done in a few minutes.
- On some watches the performance should be considerably improved. I must say that the Ticwatch Pro 3 is a performance monster, and not at all Mobvoi apps affect its performance, maybe other watch models with more limited performance.
- More info on this at this XDA thread.
How to use Google Pay with unsupported banks.
As of today, Google Pay has spread in most of Europe, USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and some countries in Asia such as India and Japan, and in each of these countries there are banks that are compatible with Google Pay contactless payment and others that are not (here complete list of banks by country), for example, in Spain which is the country where I live, there are many banks that have already joined Google Pay. If you are a customer of one of the supported banks you can easily add your credit and debit cards to Google Pay and pay from your phone or watch without problems but unfortunately, there are 2 major banks (and several more minority ones) that currently do not support Google Pay payments, these are CaixaBank and Banco Santander.
What happens to cards issued by entities such as these that have not joined Google Pay? In principle, you might think that there is nothing to do but, fortunately, there is a solution.
Basically it is to use a debit card that does support payments with Google Pay, and that you can associate with your usual debit card. In other words, it consists of having the card act as a "bridge" between your bank and Google Pay. It is an interesting option, since it does not imply having to become a customer of another bank or accept their conditions if you become a customer (in some cases, having a minimum amount of money in your current accounts or having your salary paid directly into your bank account). In European countries there is a solution, which is not associated with traditional banks, supports Google Pay and serves perfectly as a bridge, it is the Curve card. If you check the list of supported banks by country you will see that it is compatible in almost all European countries, in fact this card operates in 31 European countries. If Curve is not integrated in your country, either inside or outside Europe, investigate the compatible cards in your country from this list in case there is an alternative such as N26, Revolut, Monzo, etc.
In the case of the Curve Mastercard, it is a physical card that is sent to your home free of charge and is not associated with any bank account, but with one or more credit/debit cards that you own. Therefore, once received at home, you must activate the card in the mobile app and then upload the cards you want to associate with Curve. When you pay with the Curve card, the charge is made to the card you have chosen at any given time. Now if you want to make payments through Google Pay you just have to add it as any other since as I said before the Curve card is supported by Google Pay. Every time you use Google Pay to pay with the Curve card, the charge is made to the card you have associated. Here more info about the Curve card and here with an explanatory video.
Although I consider that the great advantage is that you can use the card with non-compatible banks, the Curve card also has other advantages:
- You can choose which of your VISA or Mastercard you want to pay with, by using the Curve Mastercard, you no longer need to carry the other cards in your wallet.
- You can withdraw money from any ATM without commission (up to 10 times a month).
- If you are traveling, you can withdraw money from any international ATM without commission (up to £200 / 220€) and you can also pay in foreign currency without commission (up to £500 / 550€ per month).
- If you lose it you can block the card instantly from the mobile app.
- The card is free, you don't pay anything for registration or maintenance and they don't charge commissions for making payments with it.
Steps to link your card to the Curve card, and then add it to Google Pay.
- Follow the steps to open a free account on curve here.
- Now to add it to Google Pay, open Google Pay on the watch.
- Tap "Add card" and the setup will continue on the phone.
- Tap on the card already set up on the phone, or "Add a new card" if it had not yet been set up on the phone.
- Click "Enter details manually" to enter your card number, CVC and validity date.
- Enter your billing address and phone number, then press "Save".
- Read and accept the "Issuer Terms and Conditions".
- Finally, you will have to choose a verification system for the bank to verify your identity. By default the SMS option is checked, so make sure your number is correct and continue. When you receive the message, enter the code and that's it, you will have the card configured in the watch.
How to use Google Pay in unsupported countries such as Iceland, Slovenia, Mexico, Israel or Turkey.
There are several countries in the world that support Google Pay for contactless payments, Here the list of countries supported to use Google Pay on phones and here the countries supported to use Google Pay on smartwatch (much less). Users in many countries are unable to use Google Pay because they do not yet have official support for Google Pay. Google has informed that in the coming months they will support 26 countries in additionfrom the 11 countries currently supported. Although there is a workaround for this, basically it is to bypass Google's verification of the country you are in based on the IP address which causes Google Pay app to be hidden in seconds if used in an unsupported country. Therefore, to avoid this you need an IP address of a supported country, for this you use a proxy or a VPN, so you can pay in any country where the merchant has Contactless payment. For a much more extensive info and considerations about the trick enter here, basically the steps to follow are as follows:
- Download the app Permanent Proxy from this link and install it on the watch. The app is designed for Wear OS devices and allows anyone to use Google Pay in regions where it is normally blocked.
- Go to Settings > system > About and tap "Build number" multiple times until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Next go to Settings > developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debug over bluetooth".
- Run Permanent Proxy app, it will ask for permissions, accept "always allow".
- Now create a personal proxy service that is reliable and avoid changing the IP address frequently, for example in Google Cloud.
- Enter the IP address and port of the proxy you created, and enable it. Después de habilitar el VPN/proxy, sal de la aplicación, dale a tu reloj algo de tiempo y luego vuelve a verificar en la aplicación de proxy permanente para ver si tu IP externa ha cambiado a la que ingresaste como proxy. Si es así, buen trabajo, ¡estás conectado!
- Disable W-Fi on the watch. Don't download Google Pay on your watch. It should enable itself. If it doesn't do it automatically, download Play Sore from Play Store.
Considerations:
- Proxy services can be found online and can be from any country. However, make sure you completely trust the proxy you chose before you enter it. It is possible that all your watch data will be sent through that proxy, including sensitive data, so act at your own risk. It is recommended that you create your own proxy. This can be easily done using Google Cloud (trial version).
- An alternative to "Permanent Proxy" is to use a VPN on the phone that routes Internet traffic from the Wear OS app on the phone through it. To make it work you have to disable WiFi on the watch, only use Bluetooth connection and keep the VPN on the phone always on.
- "Permanent proxy" may not work if the watch is connected directly to the Internet (watches with eSIM).
- There's no relation between GPay for phones and GPay for Wear OS. if there is an official support for given country it is not ( and for many EU countries it is the case) always valid for watches.
- Only bank cards that you can use to pay with your phone in stores can be added to Google Pay on your watch. This means you will need a card from a country supported by Google Pay.
- GPay app is installed by default on the watch, but it is hidden for the countries without official support. Don't download Google Pay on your watch. It should enable itself. If you disable Wi-Fi on the watch and start a VPN on your phone, the app should appear in a while.
- You can make your watch refresh its Google Pay availability check in two ways.: Either by setting the IP/port again in the Permanent Proxy app, or by tapping "Home App" in Settings > System > About > Versions.
- Even if you are using "Permanent proxy", sometimes GPay is disabled after update of some related Google apps, Services framework, Play services, Google main app. In this case manual install of this Google Pay (Wear OS) app version and after watch restart it appeared again.
- Free VPNs may work, but they usually stop working within a couple of days if they work at all.
- If Google Pay does not work, delete Google Pay data in the watch settings. Also try to delete updates.
- Google Pay will work if you see the icon in the quick settings of the watch.
- "Permanent proxy" only works for IPv4 networks. If you are on a network that uses IPv6, in theory, Google can still verify which country you are in. Turn off WiFi if necessary.
- Uninstalling the proxy permanently will not stop the proxy. Stop the proxy using the application before uninstalling it, or stop the proxy using the ADB command below.
Code:adb shell settings delete global http_proxy adb shell settings delete global global_http_proxy_host adb shell settings delete global global_http_proxy_port adb shell settings delete global global_http_proxy_exclusion_list adb shell settings delete global global_proxy_pac_url adb shell reboot- For more information go to the original XDA thread here.
How to take long screenshots with the Wear Stitch tool.
If you want to take an long screenshot, showing an entire conversation or menu, you can do it with the help of adb and a Python script called Wear Stitch. This tool takes a screenshot, scrolls a bit, takes another screenshot and so on until it reaches the end of the screen. It then performs some image processing to combine the screenshots into one
Previous requirements:
- Install Pyhon on the computer. Download it here.
- Follow the steps in the "Prepare watch for advanced features" section of the first post.
- Download the Wear Stitch tool here, and unzip the zip. It is an open source Python script that is available on GitHub.
Steps:
- On the computer, open a command window and change to the directory where you saved the wear_screenshot_stitch script.
- If you haven't done it yet, install the Pillow library in Python with the following command
Code:pip install pillow
- Then enter the following command to connect to the watch. It then accepts a message on the watch that allows the computer to connect.
Code:adb connect IP_of_watch:5555
- Now to run the script and be able to make long snapshots, enter the following command:
Code:python ./wear_screenshot_stitch.py --round
Here you have more info to modify the command parameters. If everything went well, the script will start taking screenshots while scrolling the watch screen. When it has a few screenshots ready, it joins them all into a final image which is an long image. The process may take a few minutes.
Conclusions on the current state of the Wear OS catalog.
For some time now, on the Reddit forum there has been uploaded a spreadsheet where all the models (I think) of watches with Wear Os that have been launched on the market since its inception are recorded (and have been recorded). Click here to see it. If it is true that some information is missing, but it gives you a clear picture of how Wear OS has been doing since it launched in 2014. Now that it looks like Wear OS is going to turn around in a few months thanks to its partnership with Samsung I've been taking a look at this log and have come to some quick conclusions. Does anyone draw any interesting conclusions from this database?.
- Since June 2014 some 125 models of watches have been released.
- There are 25 brands that are currently launching or have launched watches with Wear OS. These can be structured into 3 groups:
- Technology companies such as Mobvoi, Huawei, OPPO and Xiaomi..
- Watch manufacturers such as Fossil, Misfit, Skagen, Casio, Polar and Suunto.
- Fashion brands such as Diesel and Emporio Armani - Fossil has released 17 models with Wear OS, the last one launched in January 2021, Fossil Gen 5. The watch brands Skagen and Misfit also belong to Fossil, and Fossil also manufactures under license for fashion brands such as Diesel, Emporio Armani, Puma, Michael Korps, Kate Spade NY and Tory Burch so the Fossil group would currently be the manufacturer of 40% of the models of watches with Wear OS that exist in the market.
- The first watch with Wear OS (Android Wear at the time) was LG G Watch model launched in June 2014, and the first watch with Android Wear 2.0 was LG Watch Sport, launched in February 2017. I don't think this trend will continue, it looks like the first watch with Wear 3.0 will be a Samsung.
- Interestingly, Samsung launched in June 2014 a watch with Wear OS, Samsung Gear Live, along with LG G Watch, as a presentation to the world of Android Wear at Google I/O 2014 and never again. It focused on its own operating system, Tizen.
- The vast majority of Wear OS watches have been manufactured with round dial, only a few models such as the Xiaomi Mi Watch and OPPO Watch have been manufactured with a square dial, they are also among the few that carry a custom layer of Wear OS, MIUI and ColorOS respectively.
- Only 13 watches allow to activate eSIM or NanoSIM and thus have autonomy with respect to the phone to receive internet signal. Some of them are Fossil Gen 5, OPPO Watch 2, Xiaomi Mi Watch and Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro 3.
- Only 3 watches have the Qualcomm SnapDragon Wear 4100 processor: Ticwatch Pro 3, Ticwatch E3 and Oppo Watch 2 (last 2 aren't visible in the spreadsheet, they have been launched recently). The most powerful on the market for Wear OS for now, actually the current watch catalog is divided between Snapdragon 2100 and 3100. Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 will have an Exynos W920 processor, which seems to improve the efficiency of Snapdragon 4100.
- If I had to choose 1 or 2 of the most representative watches (in my opinion) by each of the top brands it would be:
- Mobvoi: Ticwatch Pro, Ticwatch Pro 3.
- Fossil: Fossil Sport, Fossil Gen 5
- Skagen: Skagen Falster 2, Skagen Falster 3
- Misfit: Misfit Vapor 2
- Suunto: Suunto 7
- Polar: Polar M600
- Casio: Casio Pro Trek
- Xiaomi: Xiaomi Mi Watch
- Oppo: Oppo Watch
- Huawei: Huawei Watch 2
What is the best app for running, cycling and hiking routes?
Ghostracer is the best app currently available on Wear OS to monitor your running or cycling (also trekking or hiking) workouts. I consider that it is currently way ahead of other apps for Wear OS maintained by big sports brands like Nike Run Club, Adidas Running o Strava. These apps and others designed for hiking (which I will talk about later) such as Locus Map , Oruxmaps , komoot o Outdooractive have fantastic versions on Android, but their Wear OS versions suck, they barely get the attention of these companies. Ghostracer is developed by someone who uses Wear OS watches. and it shows, gives the feeling of running all at once with a better sports watch. The app is developed by an active British Wear OS watch user who updates it frequently. The app is not new, in fact, it was released for Wear OS a few years ago, in 2014, so it is very refined.
Personally, to an app for running, cycling or hiking with the watch I ask at least three conditions, that is, that it is autonomous from the phone, that it supports offline maps and that it can follow routes with GPX files. Ghostracer meets these and more:
- It is optimized for use from the phone, and from the watch, even standalone from the phone. Using the application from the watch does not require a GPS signal from the phone, nor does it require carrying the phone with you or having an Internet connection.
- You can download offline maps from MapBox Maps, both on your phone and on your watch (Premium version only).
- Allows you to view/track routes on the map (even offline).
- You can navigate with maps from Google Maps or Mapbox.
- You can add GPX files from your phone to follow the marked route also from the watch on the map.
- The information displayed on the watch screen (fully customizable) is clearly visible when you train. Up to 6 fields of information can be displayed per screen. Provides a lot of training data, more than 40 parameters that you can view in real time.
- Allows you to automatically upload your workouts to Strava, SmashRun or RunKeeper.
- Allows you to export your workouts in GPX or TCX format.
- You can compete against virtual opponents (Ghosts) through Strava segments or GPX files.
- Compatible with Bluetooth and ANT+ accessories such as speed, heart rate, cadence and power sensors. It is also compatible with the Wahoo RFLKT Bike GPS.
- Allows you to download offline maps from Mapbox Maps to create a truly offline experience both on the phone and on the watch, for me the most essential feature of these 3, which just for that alone already deserves to buy the premium version. If you really use the app in places where there is always internet, the free version is enough.
- Allows you to enable unlimited ghosts per activity (the free version only allows two ghosts).
- Allows you to add more screens on the watch (the free version only allows 3 screens).
I. Installation and setup.
- Install Ghostracer from the Play Store on your Android phone and Wear OS watch.
- Make sure the phone is paired to the watch via Bluetooth.
- On the watch, open the app and grant location and sensor permissions. Swipe to the right to enter the settings window:
- Select standalone or paired mode, whether you want the training to be synchronized on the watch and on the phone at the same time, or not. If you choose standalone mode, the sensor settings are enabled.
- You can choose the type of training (running or cycling). You can also download offline maps to the watch that must be previously downloaded to the phone.
- In the display settings, select whether you want to keep the display on permanently or not. If you have a Ticwatch with the TFT display it gives compatibility problems, so I recommend selecting for these cases "Display always on" and then restart.
4. On the phone, open the app and grant location permissions. Go to settings (top right):- Select the type of activity you want between running and cycling, if you select running it is also valid for hiking or trekking activities.
- Fill in your personal data (age, maximum heart rate, etc).
- If you have it, link your Strava, Smash Run or RunKeeper account, this way your workouts will be uploaded to your account.
- In sensors option, you can connect for example your chest heart rate monitor.
- In display option, you can customize the workout information display with your phone as you like.
- In Map option select the type of map between Google Maps and Mapbox and the style (Satellite, offroad, Streets, etc). From here you can also download offline maps.
- In Android Wear option, you can customize the watch screen with a multitude of options, for example the font size of the screen and force the use of the GPS of the watch. I recommend looking at this option carefully, and adapt it to your needs.
II. Description of Ghostracer on the watch.
When you open the app on the watch, you will see several options by swiping from top to bottom:- Main Screen: From this screen, you will be able to start/stop the training. You can also see the quality of the GPS signal (other apps just report and if there is GPS coverage or not).
- Training information screen: Sliding screens from left to right you will be able to see in real time, distance run, race pace, heart rate and your position on the map. From here you can choose the parameters that best suit you among more than 40 alternatives.
- Ghosts screen: From this screen you can choose the virtual opponent of your choice, such as a GPX file, a Strava segment or a custom interval. In order for you to select them, you must add them from the phone.
III. How to use Ghostracer for hiking and trekking.
Until a while ago I used Viewranger as a hiking app on my watch, but shortly after it was bought by Outdooractive they deactivated the app. The truth is that there are not too many alternatives that are similar, however I consider Ghostracer and although it is not a specific app for hiking, it is the one that best meets my needs.
A. ADD ROUTES TO THE WATCH AND FOLLOW THEM.Before following a route, you have to get it and add it to the app.- Get the track of the route to follow, for example, from a Wikiloc route that you download. The track must be in GPX format (not KMZ). To download Wikiloc tracks from your phone in GPX format, log into Wikiloc from the browser and search for a wikiloc route, inside the web page click the green "Download" button, select the "file" tab and finally "download".
- On the phone, start Ghostracer click on "+" at the top and then on "GPX file". Select the GPX file you have downloaded from Wikiloc and finally click on "Add Ghost".
- On the watch, open the app and swipe to the "Ghosts" screen, click on the icon to update and select the GPX track.
- The track is now displayed on the map, on the watch start the workout (not mandatory to follow the route, go to the workout info screen and swipe right until you see the map, this way you can follow the route on the watch (also simultaneously on the phone if you wanted to).
B. CONSIDERATIONS WHEN FOLLOWING A ROUTE.- What is a track? A track is a record of the itinerary where you have moved. Within the track it contains statistics such as length, speed and elevation.
- You can see the location where you are on the map. View the route itinerary on the map, and zoom and pan the maps.
- While following a route, you can start, pause or stop the activity.
- When recording the route you can view live route statistics such as distance traveled, trip duration, altitude, total ascent, walking speed and heart rate.
- When you finish following a route, go to the main screen and select "Stop".
- Here is a video generated by the app developer explaining how to add offline maps to the watch.
IV. Alternatives to Ghostracer for hiking.
There are not really too many alternatives, and none of them meets all the conditions (offline maps, independent of the phone, follow GPX routes and free), however there are several interesting apps besides Ghostracer:
I have omitted in the comparison Outdooractive and Komoot. In the case of Outdooractive you pay a monthly subscription which means that you would pay up to €60 per year! and in the case of Komoot you pay for having maps of regions (very few square kilometers in each region), if you make a bike route, and you leave that region, which is very easy, you will have to pay for another region. Each region has a cost (except the first one), which means that if you do long routes when you realize you have spent 30 or 40 euros in maps. As I don't like this business model, and I'm not willing to pay so much money, I haven't tested them and that's why they are not in the comparison, the others are because I have tested them personally.
From the comparison of this type of apps on Wear OS I think it can be extracted that:
- If you just want to see your position on an offline map without depending on the phone, the most appropriate is Wristmap (Free) and GPS Navigation (paid).
- If you want to see your position on an offline map without depending on the phone and also follow GPX routes, the most appropriate are Ghostracer (paid) and Standalone Wear Maps (paid).
V. What Ghostracer needs to improve.
Although Ghostracer is the one I like the most among the running and hiking apps for Wear OS, it's not perfect, especially for hiking (I know, the developer didn't create it for that). Although it is not essential (for me) I would ask for future updates that:
- Enable a button to add Waypoints when I am recording the route or training.
- Upload training logs to Google Fit.
- That when I click on my location on the map it shows me the UTM coordinates of where I am.
- When starting a route provide navigation instructions, i.e. 'at 10m turn left' and similar.
- Fix bug on Ticwatch watches with TFT screen, probably there is some incompatibility with this type of screens. Ghostracer's display settings prevent the secondary display from being activated and it stays black, and you can only reboot to see the screen content again.
How to take photos/videos remotely on your phone with a Wear OS watch.
Among some uses for Wear OS watches is to "take photos" remotely. Wear OS watches do not have cameras, but they can act as a remote shutter to take a picture with your phone's camera and even a real-time viewer that what the phone's camera sees, that is, as long as they are paired via bluetooth phone and watch, that is, as long as the bluetooth signal reaches it.
I. USES:
What is this function for? Imagine you want to take a picture with you in it, you could place your phone on a tripod or other place, aim, then enter the frame with your companions watching it from the watch screen and press the shutter release of photos or videos from the watch. Another function would be that you can watch and monitor your baby or pet while you are in another room of your house; or watch in dark and hard to reach places like a car engine.
II. METHODS:
Currently, there are four ways to use Wear OS to turn your watch into a phone camera viewer.
- If you own a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy S/Note phone (WearOS 3 only) you can control the camera from the watch without the need for third party apps by using Google's app, Google Camera (v6.1 or higher). The moment you open Google Camera on the phone, the watch will display a new card called "Remote". If you touch it, the screen of your watch will become a viewfinder of what you see through the phone's camera, from the watch you can also set a timer (self-timer) so that for example you have time to position yourself since you press the shutter release on the watch or switch from front to rear camera, or vice versa.
- If you don't have a Google Pixel or a Samsung Galaxy S/Note, or want more control over the settings from the watch there are third-party apps that also show a preview of what the phone's camera sees on the watch and in addition, you can adjust from the watch itself the zoom, exposure, flash, switch between the main camera and selfie, take photos with timer (self-timer). You just need to launch the app from the watch and it will be able to take pictures even when your phone screen is off. Currently, there are several Android camera apps that can "talk" to Wear OS watches such as Wear Camera, Camera One, Wrist Camera, PixtoCam and Camera Remote Wear.
- Owners of Galaxy Watch 4 watches along with any Samsung phone (does not work with other phones) have another method and that is through a camera app integrated into the watch. Just install (if you don't already have it installed) the Samsung Camera Controller app and that's it. The app like Google Camera or third-party apps has real-time viewer of what is seen by the phone camera, but has the disadvantage that the phone screen must be unlocked and turned on, otherwise it will not work.
- All three of the above methods have a built-in viewfinder of what is seen by the phone's camera, and other sophisticated elements like adjusting zoom, flash exposure etc, but if you just want a method to use the watch as a simple remote shutter button for your favorite camera app via bluetooth use a app to automate tasks like Macrodroid. An explanation of this method is given below.
III. COMMON CONSIDERATIONS:
- Regardless you use Google camera, or another third party app it is necessary for it to work to install the phone version on the phone, and the watch version on the watch and preferably from the Play Store the 2 versions.
- To work properly you must disable the power saving feature for the app on the phone, so that it works in the background. This permission is needed because some phones cono Nokia, Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi "kill" this app completely when not in use.
- This app needs at least these permissions to work properly: Camera permission, Storage permission (to save photos/videos on your phone) and Microphone permission (when recording a video).
- Be it Gooogle Camera, or be it a third-party app, these are capable of taking photos and videos even when your phone's screen is off, this means you can go completely unnoticed while taking photos and videos.
- The disadvantage of the third party apps of the second method is that it does not use your camera app to take the picture but only uses the APIs of the phone's camera so the settings you would have adjusted in the camera app (exposure, contrast, filters, flash, etc) are not taken into account. The photo will be taken with the factory default settings.
- Live streaming works as long as you are in Bluetooth range.
- A small preview of the final image appears on the watch screen, while the actual image will be stored on the phone.
- If the preview has some lag in the image transmission, Restart the watch.
- For Sony Xperia users, disable the STAMINA mode, if you want to take a picture with the screen off (Settings > Power management > STAMINA mode).
- All third-party apps for these purposes that I know of (and that I list below) are either paid or with in-app purchases integrated within the free app (with limited features). All of them are currently working properly (at least in TWP3) and have been updated recently. The paid versions can be tried for free if a refund is requested within 48 hours of installation, and some of the ones with in-app purchases give you a trial period to try and buy later. The prices to receive the full versions are around 1€ to 3€ (in europe), so it is not a big outlay to have all the possible features they offer. Perhaps the most complete if you do not want to pay anything is Wrist Camera.
- Paid: PixtoCam and Wear Camera
- In-app purchases: Wrist Camera, Camera One and Camera Remote Wear
How to take photos/videos remotely on your phone with a Wear OS watch (only bluetooth shutter button).
In the previous section I explained three methods I know of for taking photos from a distance depending on the watch and phone you have. These three methods add in the watch a real time viewer of what is seen by the phone camera and other sophisticated elements like adjusting from the watch zoom, flash, exposure, etc, but if you just want a method to use the watch as a simple remote shutter button for your favorite camera app via bluetooth use a app to automate tasks like Macrodroid.
Macrodroid allows you to automate a myriad of tasks on any Android phone, it's a great app if you're looking to get the most out of your phone. The free version is limited to only 5 macros but it is a very easy to use application (unlike tasker for an initiated user). I use it among other things to activate the flashlight with a shake when I'm in the dark, when I go to work the phone is put on silent, on holidays from Monday to Friday turn off the alarm clock, when I enter the car plays music and runs the road navigator and radar detector. In addition Macrodroid is compatible with Wear OS and you can press on the watch to take a picture or record a video from the phone remotely. To get the latter follow the steps below:
- Make sure the watch is connected to the phone.
- On the phone, install Macrodroid. You will need to accept different permissions for it to work properly.
- On the watch, install Macrodroid.
- Now from the phone app click "Add macro".
- At the top enter a name for the macro, for example "Take photo".
- Under Triggers, press "+" and select "Android Wear" under Connectivity and then select the appropriate icon.
- Under Actions, press "+" and select "UI Interaction" under Device Actions. Then select "click", then "Identify app". Next open the camera, and before pressing the camera shutter, click on the UI interaction notification.
- Save the macro and open Macrodroid on the watch. You will see the macro you have created there, now just click on it and if everything went well it will take the picture.
Your explanation of what the macro does would be this:
Once you press the button from the watch, if the camera app is not open it will open it, once open and if you press the watch button again, it informs you to position yourself for the photo and will start a 3 second timer, finally it will take the photo by tapping on the phone shutter button for you.
CONSIDERATIONS IN MACRODROID METHOD:
- Unlike third-party apps this method takes photos from your camera app with the settings you have defined.
- All macros containing the "Android Wear" trigger are displayed in the Macrodroid app on the watch.
- If you have video mode selected in the camera when you run the macro, it will record video instead of taking photos.
- To work properly Macrodroid you must disable the power saving feature for the app on the phone, so that it works in the background. This permission is needed because some phones such as Nokia, Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi "kill" this app completely when not in use.
What is known about water protection on Ticwatch Pro 3 and Ticwatch E3.
I. What does Mobvoi say?
That it has IP68 resistance and is suitable for swimming in pools. Having IP68 resistance implies that it is protected against dust (no dust would enter under any circumstances) and against water (it can be fully and continuously submerged to a depth and for the maximum time determined by the manufacturer). When Mobvoi's support team has been asked how long the watch can be in the water, they have replied that it has no time limit for swimming in a freshwater pool. They have also expanded on the information about use in activities where it is in contact with water: It can be used for swimming, handwashing (exposure of the watch to soap should be minimized), sweating or when it rains. Avoid placing it under hot water, soap, detergent and seawater. In addition, they mean that it is not suitable for showering, diving, water-skiing and activities in deep water and/or high speed water movement (waves, waterfalls, high pressure water guns...).
So, and as far as water protection is concerned, you can submerge it (i.e. you can wear it swimming in a freshwater pool) but it is not protected against short range high pressure, high temperature jets, e.g. when showering, as water could enter the internal components if it is receiving jets of water directly. When swimming in a pool it clearly specifies swimming, that implies that it would not be protected when diving in a freshwater pool beyond the depth that the watch would be when swimming, i.e. less than one meter deep. Among the 100 sports modalities available in TicExercise app, the only aquatic modality available is swimming.
II. What about Ticwatch Pro 3 Ultra?
This model, in addition to having IP68 resistance and is suitable for swimming in a pool, has MIL-STD-810G military certification. This means that according to performance tests created by the U.S. Department of Defense, the watch can also withstand harsh environmental conditions. Mobvoi has not reported what tests it has passed, therefore, I consider it to be more of a marketing move than actually providing ruggedness to the watch. It should be known that it is sufficient to pass only one of the 29 tests to obtain MIL-STD-810 certification, so it could for example have passed the test on sudden temperature changes, but not have passed the test on resistance to rain, to give an example.
III. What are the adverse effects if water gets into the watch?
The least protected parts that prevent water from entering the watch are the microphone hole on the right side, the speaker holes on the left side and above all the barometric sensor hole at the bottom of the watch. It seems that the hole is protected by a felt membrane, which can retain water, but not for a long time and not under a lot of pressure. There is practically no possibility of water entering through the joint that joins the body with the back cover where the sensors are, since it has an adhesive sealant around the circumference.The case that if water enters very probably the internal components will be affected, probably condensers oxidize and start doing strange things like:- Flashing battery indicator on the FSTN display even though the watch is fully charged.
- Battery discharging very fast
- Heart rate and oxygen sensors randomly stop working.
- Starts vibrating non-stop.
- It constantly decalibrates, and you have to continually unlock it when the screen turns off.
IV. What possible solutions are there?
I think that if the sensors are failing because water has reached the internal components I think there is practically no solution, other than replacement, however, here are some solutions that have been described and have worked for some users:
- Drain the speaker hole on the right side, to do this press and hold the bottom button, then from the menu select "Speaker Drain", Repeat 2-3 times, you might see some water droplets coming out of the speaker holes.
- Enter Ship Mode, to do this you must enter bootloader mode by simultaneously holding down the 2 buttons until you feel a vibration, about 8 seconds and it will reboot into that mode. Once inside, select "Enter Ship Mode" with the lower button and accept with the upper button. "Ship mode" is a low power state that prolongs battery life and protects the battery when there are extended periods of non-use. It seems to be used by the manufacturer in the stage prior to sale and shipment to the end user. You exit this state by pressing and holding the top button. Eventually it will restart.
- Another possible solution is to drain the battery completely and then recharge it. This may cause the sensors to start working again.
- Most of the time, only the back cover of the watch is affected, as this is where the heart rate sensor and barometric sensor are located. A solution would be to replace the back cover, however, no replacement parts are being sold for Ticwatch (at most the replacement battery), you could look in the second hand market for the same broken model that is sold for replacement parts, however, it is always a risk as it could also be damaged the replacement back cover.
- If you can still take advantage of the warranty period, and you have purchase invoice, you could request replacement to Mobvoi directly. I have read from users who generated a request, if they accept the return, Mobvoi provides you with an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) label, you send it in, and a few days later they will replace the watch. It is important to say when generating the return request that you only swam in a pool, that you did not shower with it.
I expand information with the following video, it disassembles Ticwatch Pro 4G/LTE model, but it is quite similar to TWP3 and you understand better where are the components of the captures of the previous post, from 2'27".
How to port Unity Game is Wear OS.
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CONTINUED IN POST #516Interesting apps in the Play Store
After having talked about apps that I use and that are outside the Google circuits, I will highlight other apps that I use regularly and that I find very interesting and which are within the Play Store, and like the previous ones I reviewed, are all free.
Wear GPS Fix: (Download here).
There is a known bug from Google (not yet resolved) where when you start a training activity on the watch that requires GPS (e.g. running or walking) and at that time you are connected via bluetooth to the phone (you should note that the watch already had acquired GPS positioning from the phone at that time). If that happens the watch will not acquire the GPS position independently and the run will not be tracked. Normally to avoid this error what you do is to turn off the bluetooth of the phone every time you want to run a workout with the watch, but it is uncomfortable to do that. The app fixes this bug. What it does is that it gets a correction independent of the GPS positioning on the watch. While waiting for a GPS correction, the app shows you the satellite status in real time so you can see how many satellites have been found and how many are used in the correction. Once the correction is acquired, Wear GPS Fix immediately opens your preferred workout app (Google Fit, Runtastic, Strava...), transfers the GPS correction to the app and you are ready to start your workout and you can get accurate GPS tracking.
At the moment, Wear GPS Fix works with the following sports apps and map apps: Google Fit, Ghostracer, Google Maps, Myzone, Nike Run Club, Runtastic (Adidas Running), Sporty Go, Strava, TicExercise, Viewranger.
Wear BT Monitor: (Download here).
App that alerts you if the Bluetooth connection is broken between your Android phone and WearOS device (e.g. your phone goes out of BT range of your watch). This replaces the stock option that alerts you when the phone and watch lose their BT connection as it is not working. The app is managed from the phone, from there you can customize the vibration pattern that will sound when the bluetooth connection is lost so you recognize it when you feel it. From the watch you can activate, or deactivate when you think it is necessary. To test it, simply turn on airplane mode on your phone; your watch should vibrate in the custom pattern you have chosen.
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Wear Voice Opener: (Download here).This is an app to open other apps on your watch using your voice, it is a workaround until the Google Assistant gets back (hopefully) the ability to launch apps that Google removed a few months ago without any explanation. This feature is very useful when driving or any other time when it's awkward to interact with the watch screen.The idea is that you can assign the app to a physical button (I recommend the Button Launcher app for the possibilities it offers you) and then open other apps just by saying their name.Installation and use:- Install on the phone the app Wear Voice Opener (Play Store). Wait a few seconds, and install the app on the watch from "phone apps" in the Play Store. Once installed on the watch, you can uninstall the app on the phone.
- On the watch, open the app (I recommend customizing a physical button to open it). You will see a sentence "Say app name to open...", say the name of an app you have installed on the watch, for example "calculator" and it will run next.
Usage considerations:- Wear Voice Opener opens apps based on partial matches, i.e. to open Google Fit just say "Fit".
- The app works correctly with UK English and may not work as well with other languages.
- You cannot open an app whose name is not recognized by voice command (e.g. 'AIDA64').
Informer: (Download here).
This is an app that improves the way you receive notifications and their management on your watch. The free version allows:- Present instant cards (better than Wear OS notifications) and allow you to reply to messages with a single tap.
- Give instant replies with predefined messages or by "voice to text".
- View images received via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram directly on the watch.
- Receive WhatsApp call notifications.
- Set notification vibration patterns according to contact.
- Display notification history and missed calls.
- You can set the do not disturb time (phone and watch will be in silent mode).
The Premium version (0,99 €/month) also allows you to listen to WhatsApp voice messages, accept WhatsApp voice and video calls (and answer them by voice), adjust the notification font size, among other things. For much more extensive info and tricks enter here.
Considerations:- To receive notifications you must grant permissions to read notifications and storage permission, you must also install the app on the phone and watch.
- To avoid duplicate notifications (stock and informer), disable stock notifications in the Wear OS app on the phone, go to notifications > Change notifications watch and disable duplicate apps.
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Feel The Wear - Notifications TTS (Download here)The app creates custom vibration patterns for notifications that come to your watch (up to 5 different ones), you can assign them to the phone apps you prefer, this way, you can identify the notification without taking the phone out of your pocket. The app has in the Play Store the version for phone that is from where you configure the notifications you want to customize. You can also customize a vibration pattern that will sound when the bluetooth connection is lost, useful for when you are moving away from the phone, like the app "Wear BT Monitor" discussed in the section "Interesting apps outside Play Store".Wear Reminder 2: (Download here)
Application that solves an old Wear OS bug that still remains and manages to replicate Google notifications (news, weather updates, sports...) and reminders that come to the phone also receiving them on the watch. The app must be installed on the watch and on the phone as a bridge. You can configure the importance of reminders and notifications (sound, vibration, text-to-speech...), also if you discard a notification on the watch, it is also discarded on the phone, and vice versa.
Nav Explorer (Download here).It is a very powerful file explorer for Wear OS, it also has root support to navigate through the system folders in case you have a rooted watch. It also allows you to easily transfer files to/from your computer, phone or tablet. The app creates an FTP server and communicates directly through your local WiFi connection, even also through Bluetooth to transfer files easily and quickly. In the section "Transfer files to/from internal storage" I explain in detail how to transfer files with Nav Explorer. The app has in the Play Store the version for phone/tablet that serves as a bridge to the watch either via Wi-Fi or via bluetooth.
Button Launcher (Download here)Allows you to customize the use of the watch's physical buttons to choose which apps or functions to launch quickly based on the combination of button presses. The application uses a combination of short presses and long presses to launch applications. A watch with a single button is limited to four different shortcuts, but if the watch has two buttons, you can use up to eight shortcuts.
Wear Favorite Apps Launcher (Download here).Generate a window with shortcuts to your favorite apps for quick access, you can access from physical buttons, from a dial complication, from cards or in combination with Button Launcher.
Toggler (Download here).It is an application that generates shortcuts to enter Tilt-to-wake mode, Always-on display mode or a shortcut to quickly turn off the clock. The shortcuts are accessible just like any other app in the app drawer, so you can assign it to the physical buttons with the help of apps like Button Launcher or put it on the watch face as a complication. In my case I use it as a shortcut to have the screen always on when I go running and see the metrics in Google Fit without the screen turning off during the session.
MultiTap Wear Keyboard (Download here)Alternative keyboard to the traditional QWERTY, it is the multi-touch keyboard style of the old Nokia. In watches with screens smaller than 2 inches it could be a solution for many if they find the keyboard integrated with the watch uncomfortable.
MGRS Wear (Download here)Displays your current GPS location. A button at the bottom toggles the displayed location between MGRS, UTM and geographic coordinate systems. Very useful when you are oriented on a map and you need to know your position on the map and you don't have a reference point where you are.
Fit Companion (Download here).It is a vitaminized Google Fit. Google Fit shows statistics of the activities you do throughout the day but these statistics may not be enough for some users, as they need to get much more comprehensive statistics on their physical activities. The app acts by analyzing the data collected by Google Fit and displays it in a comprehensive way. Some things it can do:- You can create custom fitness goals, these goals can be by activity time, distance or by metrics (steps, active calories, Google Fit heart points and more).
- You receive alerts in case of sedentary for prolonged periods.
- It has a phone version where you can see all the statistics.
- Data is displayed in the form of intervals ranging from one minute to one month.
- You can combine data from two sources to compare and correlate the impact caused by both.
- Breaks down heart rate into different heart activity zones.
- Allows you to view data for up to a year at a time, while allowing you to change the date so you can view activity from any time in the past.
The app is free, and is fully functional, however there is a paid pro version that extends features such as adding more than 2 custom fitness goals and exporting data to an excel file and being able to analyze it in depth. More info here.-
Wear Logger (Download here)
Wear Logger is a free app for tracking sports workouts (running or cycling) and uploading the results to Google Fit and/or Strava. The advantage over Google Fit, Strava, Ghostracer, Runkeeper or Nike Run Club is that you can clearly see in real time the distance you have run, the elapsed time and the current heart rate. It also always gets the GPS position from the watch autonomously, without relying on the phone. Also and unlike most sports apps you don't need to register to use it.Characteristics:- Displays real-time display of distance traveled, elapsed time, heart rate, pace and running cadence.
- Allows you to toggle the display between elapsed time, real time, battery level and real time satellite status.
- The display uses a large font, designed to be easy to read while running.
- The watch display can be always on, at 1 second update intervals or at longer update intervals.
- Works in standalone mode, while running/walking without your phone. Avoids that known bug, and not fixed by Google of losing GPS signal when you move away from your phone.
- Starts automatically when GPS fix is acquired.
- Allows auto pause for running/walking (based on pedometer) or auto pause for cycling (based on GPS based movement).
- If GPS is lost during a run, it continues to record distance based on your real-time pace (leading to higher accuracy of total distance).
- You can use the pedometer for step counting (for Google Fit) or alternatively it estimates steps from distance run.
- Displays real-time satellite status while waiting for GPS connection (and optionally during the run).
- Vibrates on laps (you can adjust the lap distance and the duration of the vibration)
- Allows you to receive status messages to keep you informed: when updating watch settings from the phone, when locking/unlocking, when pausing, when finishing, when writing data to phone
- Automatically lock the screen after 10 seconds, unlock by swipe, long press or button press.
- Allows you to upload race results to Google Fit and/or Strava, manually or automatically. You can usually see the results in a few seconds. Data such as location, steps, heart rate and cardio points.
- Allows you to delete any data uploaded from this app to Google Fit (to be 100% sure).
- You can export workout data to a standard GPX file or CSV file (for use with any spreadsheet application).
- No registration is required; no personal data is stored anywhere other than your existing Google Fit account.
Installation and Setup:- Install from the Play Store Wear Logger on the watch and phone.
- On the watch, grant permissions for location and sensors.
- On the phone app, sign in with your Google account.
Instructions for use (watch and phone):- Open Wear Logger on your watch and wait for the GPS to lock on (you need to be outdoors and ideally with a clear view of the sky).
- Press the top button to start the workout (if you press it again, it will pause/resume), and press the bottom button to end the workout, press it again to send the activity data to your phone
- Now in the phone app, select "Add Session" from the menu to upload your workout details to Google Fit
WearMedia (Download here).It is a music player. It is one of the few music players for Wear OS that allows you to play music when you go for a run/walk without the need to also carry your phone as it can Play music contained in the watch's internal storage. The music player also includes an equalizer and supports many formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, etc. Wearmedia also has in Play Store the version for phone/tablet that serves as a bridge to transfer music to the watch, however for transferring music (or any file) I find it more practical Nav Explorer.
Wear Casts (Download here).It is a podcast player that allows you to download, manage and listen to your favorite podcasts directly from your watch without the need for your phone. You can sync podcasts and receive notifications of new podcasts you follow. Wear Casts also has a phone version, but it is only useful for adding podcasts to the watch, however you can add them from the watch itself. Other things you can do:- Automatically downloads new episodes and automatically deletes played episodes.
- Remembers the last played position for each podcast.
Shazam (Download here)
This is the watch version of the well-known application that identifies the songs that are playing around you. For it to work properly you must have the app installed on the phone and have the phone nearby connected via bluetooth to the watch. The advantage provided by the app on the watch is that you don't need to take the phone out of your pocket and you can quickly identify songs you listen to. When identifying the song, it just shows the name of the song and the singer, however, in the phone the search is registered in your shazams and you can see the lyrics and video clip of the identified song.
Yr (Download here).
A very cool weather forecast app, the weather service is provided jointly by NRK and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. It is one of the most popular weather services in the world. At a glance you see day-by-day and hour-by-hour details in the forecast, alternative to the stock weather app.
Bugjaeger Mobile ADB: (Download here)
The app is an adb command emulator that can be run from an android phone. Personally the app has become my preferred tool to send and install apps on my watch via apk. You won't need to install any app on the watch to make it bridge like Wear Installer, you just need to connect it via Wi-Fi and that's it, no computer. Also with the app you can do many more things, it is very powerful, I list the most useful to control the watch:- Commands tab: Execute ADB commands or custom shell scripts to control the watch.
- Log tab: read and export clock message log (logcat).
- Packages tab: Install/Uninstall Apps, list and filter installed apps, open apps remotely, extract apk files from installed apps and send them to the phone.
- Screencap tab: Take screenshots and send them to the phone.
- Device tab: Information and specifications of O.S., CPU, memory, battery and screen.
- Files tab: Send files from phone to watch (and vice versa), delete files from watch, modify watch file permissions.
- Backup tab: Backup the watch (and restore it).
To connect and to be able to execute the functions, you only have to do the following:- On the watch, go to Settings > System > About and tap "Build number" several times until you see a message that says "you are now a developer". Next go to Settings > developer options and enable "ADB debugging" and "Debugging over Wi-Fi".
- Make sure both your watch and mobile are connected to the same wifi network, momentarily disable bluetooth on your watch if Wi-Fi is not enabled on the watch. Now go to Settings > Connectivity > Wifi, click on the network you are connected to and write down the IP of your network.
- In the Bugjaeger app of the phone click on the plug icon, enter the IP of your network and press "Connect".
- When connecting you will see a notification appear on your watch where you have to give permission to link the phone to the watch, so click on "Always allow from this computer". Now in the app you will see the notification "Connected" and you will see the list of apps that are on the watch.
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Lefty(Download here)
This app inverts the interface 180 degrees so that the watch can be used on the right wrist, ideal if you are left-handed and you usually put the watch on your right wrist. With this app you avoid that the buttons are facing your body, when they should be facing outwards. Install Lefty on the watch and once you open the app for the first time, enable permissions for "Display other apps" and "modify system settings", and then enable accessibility for "Lefty". Finally, tapping the purple "Rotate" button in the app will invert the entire watch interface 180°. This will affect apps, the watch face, settings, basically everything on the watch.Note: Some users report that the battery saving modes and some other functions may briefly interrupt the app from time to time, but overall it works great.
WearMouse - Wear OS Air Mouse (Download here)
WearMouse allows you to remotely control your computer mouse by moving your hand. You can use this app to connect to virtually any computer or device running Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, Mac OSX, Android, Android TV, without any additional software, it just requires it to have a Bluetooth receiver. Once the app has paired with the device you could do the following:- Use it as a pointer for Powerpoint presentations (and also swipe slides by touching the sides of the watch screen), watch this video to see what it looks like.
- Play games like Fruit Ninja with your arms (e.g. by downloading it on Android TV or installing it on a Chromebook from the Play Store).
- Control a media player from the couch (e.g. when using a computer connected via HDMI).
- Impress your friends with some telekinetic powers.
Installation and Configuration:- Install WearMouse on the watch. Once the app is running on the watch you will see the list of previously paired devices. Select "Available devices" and select the device you want to pair.
- When you have a paired device, connect to it.
- Now you can choose between the 4 emulation modes and you're done.
Modes:The application has four emulation modes:- Virtual mouse mode: You move the cursor with your wrist, on the watch screen you will see two buttons to emulate when you click with the left and right mouse button, also a top drawer to configure the motion tracking depending on how you will use the watch (on left wrist, on right wrist, or held in hand as a laser pointer), and a bottom drawer for some additional functions: click and hold and middle click. If the watch is equipped with a rotating crown, you can also use it for scrolling.
- Touchpad mode: Swipe the watch screen to move the cursor, tap to click, tap and hold to drag, tap with two fingers to right-click, swipe with two fingers to scroll. To exit this mode, touch the screen or press the right button of your watch (if you have one).
- Cursor keys mode: The watch screen is divided into cursors that allow movement around the screen of the connected device. In addition, this mode allows gestures to expand the possibilities. Tap on the sides of the screen to activate the corresponding keys, double tap in the center to activate the Enter key, hold down the key to exit and there are also swipe gestures for Escape, Backspace, Space and Tab keys.
- Keyboard mode: Allows you to use a mini keyboard on screen or by voice commands.
Considerations:- If your watch has additional buttons, you can use them to quickly switch between different input modes.
- There are also some settings available. You can choose to stabilize pointer movements (this will smooth out smaller movements like waving your hands), enable diagonal movements for the cursor keys (which are useful for those cardboard games), or reduce the data rate (which is useful when using the app with an older Nougat-based Android TV box, and the mouse pointer just can't keep up). You can also choose whether to keep the clock connected when you minimize it (disabled by default).
- If you connect and find that the mouse pointer is moving unsteadily, try turning your watch's Airplane mode on and off and then reconnecting it.
- If you want to adjust the "sensitivity", do it from the pointer settings on the connected device, not in the app itself.
- If you are using the app with a device that is connected to a TV, it is recommended that you switch your TV to "Game" picture mode, this should disable any post-processing that may cause lag on the TV.
- Disable wrist gestures in the watch settings when using mouse mode, otherwise there is a high chance that the "back" or "go home" gesture will be activated.
Other well-known apps:
Apps that need no introduction, and also very useful on Wear OS....
- Spotify - Streaming music player.- Adidas Running by Runtastic - sports tracking app.- Strava - Other sports tracking app.- Google Keep - Notes and reminders.- Duolingo - Language learning
Useful ADB commands
ADB is a tool that allows us to interact with our watch in a more advanced way. It should be clarified that this interaction is done via command line. Usually, these commands are executed from a Windows or Linux computer; or a Mac with MacOS. ADB commands can be used for many tasks. These include resetting the watch, manually installing applications, extracting files, etc. To be able to execute ADB commands, if you have not done it yet, follow the steps in the section "Prepare clock for advanced functions" from the first post of this thread. Below I list the most significant ones to apply and useful to apply to a Wear OS.
I recommend this page and this where much more information about the parameters of each adb command is provided.
Code:adb reboot --> Reboot adb reboot recovery --> Reboot and boot to recovery mode adb reboot-boot-bootloader --> Reboot and boot in bootloader mode
Code:adb connect <Watch_ip> --> Connects the device via Wi-Fi adb disconnect --> Disconnect device adb devices --> Show connected devices adb shell --> Execute adb commands in a terminal
Code:adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release --> Displays Android Version adb shell getprop ro.serialno --> Displays Serial Number adb shell dumpsys battery --> Displays battery status
Code:adb push file.png /sdcard/file.png --> Copy files from the computer to the watch adb pull /sdcard/file.png --> Copy files from watch to computer
Code:adb shell ls -a /mnt/sdcard --> Show list of folders and files, including hidden files adb shell ls -d /mnt/sdcard --> Displays only list of folders
Code:adb install <app_name.apk> --> Install applications adb install -r <app_name.apk> --> Reinstall (update) applications adb uninstall <app_name.apk> --> Uninstall apps
Code:adb shell pm list packages mobvoi | sort --> List installed applications in alphabetical order and only with the word "mobvoi". adb shell pm list packages -d --> list disabled applications adb shell pm list packages -e --> list enabled applications adb shell pm list packages -3 --> list of installed third-party applications adb shell pm list packages -s --> list system applications list adb shell pm list packages -i --> list with source of installation of each package adb shell pm list packages -f --> List of applications with path
Code:adb shell pm enable <package_name> --> Enable app adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 <package_name> --> Disable app adb shell pm clear <package_name> --> Clear all data associated with a package adb shell pm reset-permissions -p <package_name> --> Reset all permissions of an app adb shell pm grant <package_name> <permission_name> --> Grant a permission to an app. adb shell pm revoke <package_name> <permission_name> --> Revoke a permission of an app.
.Code:adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.CALL -d tel:+34666123456 --> Make a call. adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.SENDTO -d sms:+34666123456 --en sms_body "Test message" --ez exit_on_sent true --> Send an SMS message.
Code:adb shell wm density 288 --> Adjust screen density. adb shell wm density reset --> Restores default density
Code:adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/my_screenshot.png --> Take screenshot adb shell screenrecord --time-limit 20 --output-format raw-frames --verbose /sdcard/my_video.raw[ --> Records the activity on screen for 20" in RAW format
.Code:adb logcat -d > bugerror.txt --> Saves a logcat to a file on the local device
Speaker drain (Only Ticwatch Pro 3)
After swimming or showering, water can get into the speaker (this is the hole on the right side of the watch), and the sound quality may change. Holding down the lower button, a menu is displayed, choose 'speaker draining' and it will play a kind of audio trill that will expel any water that has accumulated in the Speaker.
How Wear OS watches are updated.
There is quite a bit of confusion with this as to what the latest update is and where to look (system version, Wear OS version or firmware version?), plus it is also confusing how Wear OS watches are updated as it is somewhat different than Android phones.
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In order to clarify concepts for the future update of the watch, I briefly explain how it is about updates in Wear OS.
Wear OS watches receive improvements through updates that arrive through 2 ways.
Through Play Store, updating "Wear OS by Google" app.
This is the most frequent type of update you will receive on the watch (every few days). These updates usually provide bug fixes, design updates and new features. They are completely controlled by Google, usually done "silently" with no user intervention required for the update to be applied and no reboot required afterwards.
- What version do you have on your watch? It is checked in Settings > System > About > Versions > Wear OS by Google
- How to update if available? From Play Store and also by tapping on Home App in Settings > System > About > Versions.
Through system updates.
On the other hand, the watch manufacturer applies specific improvements for the device via OTA through full firmwares, in these updates are also implemented large updates from Google (H Wear OS updates) where improvements are applied that from Play Store can not reach, for example security patches. These updates do require a reboot afterwards. Each manufacturer sets the pace of updates, for example, Mobvoi or Fossil update the system more frequently than Asus. Usually with these updates the watch receives important improvements such as in battery life, new functions that require special hardware features and/or security patches.
- What System version do you have on the watch? It is checked in Settings > System > Info > Versions > System Version
- What about the firmware version? It is checked in Settings > System > About > Build number
- How to update if available? It is updated from Settings > System > About > System Updates
- How to force update if available? Go to the "Force firmware update" section of the first post.
As an example, these are the latest versions as of today for the Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS:
- Wear OS version: 2.30
- System Version: H-MR2
- Firmware Version: PMRB.210624.001
To put in context the pace of updates you can see Version history section of this link, the rate of updates that Wear OS receives, that does not mean that the partners (Mobvoi, Fossil...) apply updates to their watches on the release dates of each Wear OS update, as I said above the partners set their own pace. In the same way, you can see in the link the improvements planned with H-MR2 and others more distant based on Android 11.
How to force firmware update (Only Ticwatch Pro 3)
To make sure you have the latest firmware update for your watch, follow these steps:
- Plug the watch into the charger, and make sure it has at least 60% battery power and is connected to a Wi-Fi network. If there is, the update should start automatically.
- If it doesn't update, go to settings > System > About > System Updates. When it reports that it is updated, press in the center of the screen for about 5 seconds and after a few seconds it will start updating.
Latest Firmware version:
For TicWatch Pro 3 GPS: PMRB.220111.001 (dated January 26, 2022).
Update History:
Ticwatch Pro 3 GPSPYDA.200427.061.MRB.200911.001 - September 2020 (Initial version).PYDA.200427.064.MRB.201023.001 - 10 November 2020PYDA.200427.080.MRB.210114.001 - 01 February 2021PMRB.210407.001 - 24 April 2021PMRB.210624.001 - 13 July 2021PMRB.220111.001 - 26 January 2022
Ticwatch Pro 3 LTEPYDA.200427.075.MRL201116.001 - December 2020 (Initial version).PMRL.210414.002 - 01 May 2021PMRL.220111.001 - 16 February 2022.
System updates of the most popular Wear OS watches..
In the link below there is a list with the most representative Wear OS watch models currently available in each brand, where I put when and what was the last update of each model.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wm81Hv9Z898If86O3olsXlnyFNYv-1TR_ynh0leqO1c/edit?usp=sharing
Most common Wear OS issues and how to fix them.
'OK Google' does not activate Google Assistant
Numerous Wear OS users have noticed that their watch does not activate the Google Assistant when saying the voice command "OK Google". Although Google months ago acknowledged the problem and fixed it in a March update to the Google app many users were still reporting that it was not working.
Google Issue Tracker: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/172776291
Who is affected?: All Wear OS watches of any model.
Solution:
- Make sure that "OK Google detection" is enabled in the Google Assistant settings.
- Now it's about removing the Google app updates, so go to Play Store and click on My Apps > Google > Uninstall. You can also do it from Watch settings > Apps & Notifications > App Info > System Apps > Google > Remove Updates.
- Say "OK Google" and check that it works correctly, restart if necessary.
- Go back to Play Store, and update the Google app, also reboot if necessary.
Note: From essential mode it will not detect "OK Google", only from watchface.
Loses GPS signal, when you get separated from the phone
There is a known bug from Google (not yet resolved) where when you start a training activity on the watch that requires GPS (e.g. running or walking) and at that moment you are connected via bluetooth to the phone (you should keep in mind that the watch already had acquired GPS positioning from the phone at that moment). If that happens the watch will not acquire GPS positioning independently and the run will not be tracked when you move away from your phone.
The ideal is to use the GPS of the watch itself (actually it should say GNSS), as it will normally be more accurate than positioning with the phone, remember that the watch can simultaneously make use of several navigation systems, in addition to GPS these are, GLONASS, BEIDOU, GALILEO and QZSS. Normally the phones do not receive the signal of all these systems, although there are more and more phones that do, but in general terms, it is normal that the watch is better positioned. In addition to this, it would also be to avoid dependence on the phone when you go for a run. What happens? That after you have done the training session you check that the GPS was not detected and therefore nothing was recorded.
Google Issue Tracker: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/183515540 and https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/176625267
Who is affected? All Wear OS watches of any model.
Solution 1:
When you go out for a run/walk disconnect the bluetooth from the phone to lose the phone-watch link, and wait for the watch to position itself. The downside is that it usually takes quite a while for the watch's GPS to become active.
Solution 2:
Another more recommended solution is through the app Wear GPS Fix, what it does is that it gets the GPS location on the watch. While you wait for the GPS location, the app shows you the real-time satellite status so you can see how many satellites have been found and how many are used in location detection. Once purchased, Wear GPS Fix immediately opens your favorite workout app (Google Fit, Runtastic, Strava...), transfers the GPS location to the app and you are ready to start your workout and you can get accurate GPS tracking. You can install the app from the Play Store on your watch.
Google Assistant in certain (too many) situations does not work properly.
This bug has been known for at least 2 years (and unbelievably not fixed by Google). The fact of not having fixed this problem makes palpable the huge neglect in which Google has subjected Wear OS considering that the Google Assistant is one of the big claims (if not the biggest) when announcing the watches. One day you find yourself as a brand new owner of such a watch and you simply find that the Assistant does not work, it is very frustrating. Below I relate a few situations where the user experience is terrible when interacting with the Assistant:
- "Call xxxxx" (from your phonebook) and it will say "Sorry , I can't do that anymore". Interestingly if you call a spelled out number (even if it is in the phonebook) it works correctly.
- "Send text message to xxxxx Hi, how are you? " (from your phonebook or a spelled out number), it then asks for confirmation of what to send with the "cancel" or "send" buttons, I click "send" and screen is shown "Couldn't connect to your phone" .
- "Send whatshap/telegram to xxxxx", It asks "to whom?", but never recognizes the contact, it always asks "to whom?".
- "Play music", then says "here you go" (or something similar) and screen is displayed "Couldn't connect to your phone"
- "Nearby restaurantss", and clicking on one of them displays the screen "Can't reach the phone at the moment" (can't reach the phone now). Any suggestions about places or businesses that you ask for and the assistant offers will do the same.
- "When you open McDonals", if there are more than one it shows a list of locations, and when you click on one of them, it says "Can't reach the phone at the moment".
- 'Browse to McDonals"- If there is more than one destination, it shows you a list of locations, and when you click on one of them, it will return the error "Can't reach the phone at the moment"".
- If there is only one location, it will say it understood but a black screen will be displayed and will not indicate anything.
- "View appointments from my calendar" (calendar).- If there is more than one entry, it will describe the first entry and announce that you will see the remaining ones, finally it does not show them, just a black screen.
- If there is one entry, it will describe the entry but you will not be able to see more details, just a black screen.
- "Search results for xxxxxxxx", it will say "this is the main result", but you will only see a black screen. This happens whenever the wizard needs to show you results from your request.
- "Show pictures of 'Cats'" and it will respond "Showing your photos of cats". However, it will not show any pictures, you will only see a black screen.
Google over the years has been tentatively fixing the interaction in some situations through Wear OS updates, for example, it has frequently been reported that reminders and notes could not be added through the assistant, currently those functions work correctly.
Google Issue Tracker: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/174344676 and https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/174594748 and https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/182882377.
Who is affected? All Wear OS watches of any model.
Solution:
There is currently no solution, however there are several indications that suggest that soon will be released an update to repair all these problems, these are:- In March this year they finally fixed the bug where the assistant did not recognize the voice command 'OK Google'.
- A few days ago they released the first app for Wear OS in years, the Gboard keyboard for WearOS.
- This week, many users are receiving a notification via phone to take a Wear OS satisfaction survey.
- And finally, at the annual Google I/O 2021 conference held in mid-May the partnership with Samsung was announced which could definitely boost the development of Wear OS, also rumored to launch before the end of the year Wear OS 3.0.
Alternative Solution:As I was saying there is no official solution to this by Google, but if an alternative solution for part of these problems, specifically when you want to:"Call xxxxx" (from your address book)."Send text message to xxxxx Hi, how are you?" (from your contact book)."Send whatshapp message to xxxxx".It is through Wear Text app (developer Malcolm Bryant). This app allows you to make phone calls or send a text message or WhatsApp using voice commands. This post explains about installation, configuration and use of Wear Text.
In the same way, we can all push the solution through the internal bug tracking system that Google uses, Google Issue Tracker for Wear OS developers to listen to our complaints and prioritize solutions to this major bug. Enter the tab of this bug in the tracker and give it a vote by clicking on the star in order to give it notoriety, you can also give your opinion in the issue tab if you think you can contribute something new. I recommend that you enter the tracker, right now is the most direct way for us to be heard by the developers.
Google notifications and reminders are notified on the phone, but NOT on the watch.
This bug has been occurring for a long time in Wear OS watches, it consists in that all notifications that come from the Google app and that are notified on the phone are not notified also on the watch (Google notifications about news, weather, sports, etc.) nor the reminders that had been created with the Google Assistant (even if they had been created on the watch), it is always notified ONLY on the phone, but not on the watch. If the reminder is created from the calendar it notifies correctly on the watch and on the phone, therefore this error only happens with the Google app and Google assistant, the other third party apps work normally in terms of receiving notifications (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)
Google Issue Tracker: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/188096935
Who is affected? All Wear OS watches of any model.
Solution:
There is currently no official solution from Google, we just have to wait. We can all push the solution through the internal bug tracking system that Google uses, Google Issue Tracker so that Wear OS developers hear our complaints and prioritize solutions to this major bug. Enter the tab of this bug in the tracker and give it a vote by clicking on the star in order to give it notoriety, you can also give your opinion in the issue tab if you think you can contribute something new. I recommend that you enter the tracker, it is currently the most direct way for us to be heard by the developers.
Workaround:.
There is a temporary workaround (until Google deigns to officially fix this problem). It is through the app Wear Reminder 2 by Malcolm Bryant (other apps of his among several others are Wear GPS Fix and Wear Installer). What Wear Reminder 2 does is that it replicates Google notifications (news, weather updates, sports...) and reminders that arrive on the phone by also receiving them on the watch. The app is installed on the watch and on the phone as a bridge. You can configure the importance of reminders and notifications (sound, vibration, text-to-speech...), also if you discard a notification on the watch, it is also discarded on the phone, and vice versa. Here a video of how Wear Reminder 2 works.
When you receive missed calls with the watch connected to the phone via bluetooth, the missed call notification is discarded from phone.
Another bug that has been maintained for years, is that when you receive a call that you do not answer (missed call) and the watch is connected to the phone via bluetooth, the missed call notification disappears (is discarded) automatically from the phone and remains only on the watch, if the bluetooth is disconnected (i.e. the phone-watch link is lost) the missed call notification remains on the phone. This is a major bug because it is easy to not realize that someone has called when the notification disappears, being only present on the watch.
Google Issue Tracker: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/182682216
Who is affected All Wear OS watches of any model.
Solution:
There is currently no official solution from Google, we just have to wait. We can all push the solution through the internal bug tracking system that Google uses, Google Issue Tracker so that Wear OS developers listen to our complaints and prioritize solutions to this major bug. Enter the tab of this bug in the tracker and give it a vote by clicking on the star in order to give it notoriety, you can also give your opinion in the issue tab if you think you can contribute something new. I recommend that you enter the tracker, it is currently the most direct way for us to be heard by the developers.
Workaround:
While waiting for the official workaround, follow the steps below and you will be able to receive missed calls and it will show the notification on your phone and watch without being automatically dismissed.- On the watch, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Notifications > Show All> System Apps > Call Manager and uncheck "Missed Calls".
- Then go to Settings > connectivity > bluetooth and make sure you have "Listen to phone voice call on watch" checked.
10Wear OS News November 29 to December 12
- December 02, It is leaked that Google plans to launch Pixel Watch (still to be confirmed that it will be called so) in the 2nd quarter of next year. The watch will feature a round design (like the vast majority of Wear OS watches), no physical bezel, use non-standard band (i.e. proprietary) and internal codename is "rohan".
- December 02, It is also leaked that Google is working on launching a Fitbit watch with Wear OS integration (codenamed "Nightlight").
- December 06, Fossil cancels production of Diesel Gen 6 watch.
- December 07, Google Pay on Wear OS available in 3 more countries: Israel, Kazakhstan and Netherlands. That's 40 countries worldwide supporting GPay for Wear OS, 2 less than GPay for Android, with 42 countries (Japan and India still don't support GPay for Wear OS).
- December 09, System update for Ticwatch E3. Updates security patch, fix Speedometer Watchface and more.
9Wear OS News 08 to 28 November
- November 12, system update for Galaxy Watch 4, minor issues update.
- November 17, finally the new Motorola watch, Moto Watch 100 is not released with Wear OS, it integrates Motorola's own operating system.
- November 18, Ticwatch Pro 3 Ultra LTE is launched, same as Ticwatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS but with 4G/LTE connectivity.
- November 21, a user of the Russian forum 4PDA has created a module for Xposed (necessarily rooted phone) that allows to emulate Vodafone UK eSIM and thus activate any eSIM on Ticwatch Pro 3 LTE (probably works on any Wear OS watch with 4G/LTE connectivity).
- November 22, probably thanks to the alliance with Samsung since early this summer, Wear OS has improved its position in the smartwatch market and at the end of the third quarter of this year has climbed to second position with a 17.3% market share (previously 5th position) only behind the Apple Watch with 21.8% share, and ahead of Tizen, Amazfit, Fitbit and Garmin.
- During this last week, between November 20 and 28, a silent update in Google Play Services app has been received on Wear OS watches that renews the screen indicating that the system is up to date (settings > System > About > System Updates).
