Hacks, tricks, news and updates for Wear OS smartwatches (TicWatch, Fossil, Missfit, Skagen, Xiaomi, Oppo, Suunto...)

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 30 April to 14 May

• May 01 - Google Pixel Watch system update.
  
  
• May 02 - Samsung updates Bixby assistant of Galaxy Watch 4/5 and now allows music detection.
  
  
• May 08 - Meta (owner of WhatsApp app) launches a version of WhatsApp for Wear OS, for now, only available in Beta phase.
  
  
• May 09 - Mobvoi announces that closed Beta testing of Wear OS 3 for Ticwach Pro 3, TWP3 Ultra and E3 will start soon.
  
  
• May 10 - Google announces release of Wear OS 4 based on Android 13 later this year, among other things it will allow backups and data migration to another watch.
  
  
• May 10 - Google announces that Gmail and Calendar for Wear OS will be released later this year.
  
  
• May 10 - Google announces that next week Google Home will be updated for Wear OS, it will allow to have shortcuts to favorite remote devices on the watch screen.
  
  
• May 11 - Google announces that Wear OS developers will be able to implement tile animations with and a new tool for developing Watch faces is launched, Watch Face Format tool.
  
  
• May 11 - It is leaked that Wear OS 4 will allow to take screenshots of the watch much easier.
  

 

[jmoportugal]

Most don't even have WO3 and are already talking about launching 4.....Most don't even have WO3 and are already talking about launching 4.....

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 15 to 28 May

• May 18 - Google Home for Wear OS update. With new design and new features.
  
  
• May 24 - Mobvoi launches Ticwatch Pro 5: Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1, 1.43" display, Mobvoi's usual dual-layer technology, 2 GB RAM, 80-hour battery, fast charging, rotating crown, $349.
  
  
• May 24 - It is leaked that the new Ticwatch Pro 5, for now, does not have Google Assistant preinstalled, and the band is 24 mm (Ticwatch Pro 3 wears 22 mm bands).
  
  
• May 25 - Google releases full Pixel Watch images for personal use, however they can only be flashed with 4-pin USB cable.
  

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 29 May to 04 June

• May 30 - It is leaked that the upcoming Pixel Watch 2 will get better battery life and performance thanks to Qualcom's Snapdragon W5 SoC chip.
  
  
• June 01 - Spotify and Google Keep are updated with new tiles.

 

[bernarbernuli]

I have been given the Ticwatch Pro 5 (so far my watch was TWP3), I have not yet played much, in a few days I will tell my tests, apparently it is powerful and the battery lasts.

As I already have Wear OS 3 for testing, I will release a new version of Wear OS Tools tomorrow or the day after, lots of improvements are coming.

If anyone wants to know anything about the watch, just ask.

The vibration I think is as weak as TWP3, I will test with third party apps to see if I can boost it. It feels like it's haptic vibration.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 05 to 11 June

• June 05 - System update for Pixel Watch.
  
  
• June 06 - Huawei's app store (App Gallery) now available on Wear OS.
  
  
• June 07 - BETA version of One UI Watch 5 for Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/5 is released, available only in the United States and South Korea.
  
  
• June 09 - It is leaked that in upcoming releases, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4/5 updates will migrate apps and data without reboot. It is a feature that will be available with Wear OS 4.
  

 

[jmoportugal]

I have been given the Ticwatch Pro 5 (so far my watch was TWP3), I have not yet played much, in a few days I will tell my tests, apparently it is powerful and the battery lasts.

As I already have Wear OS 3 for testing, I will release a new version of Wear OS Tools tomorrow or the day after, lots of improvements are coming.

If anyone wants to know anything about the watch, just ask.

The vibration I think is as weak as TWP3, I will test with third party apps to see if I can boost it. It feels like it's haptic vibration.

Do you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPSDo you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPS

 

[bernarbernuli]

Do you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPSDo you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPS

Yes, the truth is that it has given me very good impressions, I would highlight several things:

• The essential screen has been improved, and now in addition to the time and little else that gave you TWP3 gives you many sports parameters such as heart rate, blood oxygen, calories and even a compass, you scroll through tiles on the essential screen. It has happened to me many times on TWP3 that I have almost run out of battery, and it only works in essential mode, now with TWP5 I can monitor my runs in essential mode.
• The screen is a millimeter bigger than TWP3 and improves the visualization of the content, I appreciate it, the truth, although if you have a small wrist and use it only to wear it on your wrist and see the time and put a nice watchface, maybe it is bigger than the classic watches, for me, it is a perfect size, when I ran with TWP3 I did not distinguish well the metrics.
• The battery lasts much longer than TWP3 when I bought it a few years ago, it goes perfectly over 3 days doing 1-hour workouts every day
• The screen changes color when you enter a heart rate zone, for example, it changes to orange when you are in the aerobic zone, I find it a very interesting idea.
• In TWP3 I did not like their sports apps, and in fact I had them disabled, they have improved them and I find them very reliable, in fact they are the ones I use since I have it. In addition, the data can be automatically uploaded to Google Fit.
• The GPS is much more accurate and links satellites fast, more than TWP3.
• Everything moves smoothly, although that already did TWP3.
• Now it has integrated barometer and compass app.
  

 

[bernarbernuli]

Do you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPSDo you notice much difference from one to the other? I'm talking about fluidity, battery, sensors, or even screen quality and GPS

Anyone interested in Ticwatch Pro 5, I have written my review of the watch in this post.

All About Ticwatch Pro 5 (Tricks, updates, info...)

TRICKS Hi, a few days ago I changed my watch to a TicWatch Pro 5, I have been testing it. I share some tricks I know to get the most out of the watch. 1. Default functionality of the physical buttons: Crown button: If you press once, it...

forum.xda-developers.com

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 12 to 25 June

• June 12 - Wikiloc app available on Wear OS 3. It allows to record and track routes. To track routes, premium subscription is required.
  
  
• June 13 - Pocket Casts app is now available on Wear OS 2 and Wear OS 3, currently in Beta. It can be used independently of the phone.
  
  
• June 13 - Google includes in Pixel Watch a new "At a glance" complication to show weather and calendar.
  
  
• June 20 - It is leaked that Pixel Watch will allow to synchronize "Do Not Disturb mode" and "bedtime mode" with the phone.
  
  
• June 21 - System update for Fossil Gen 6: Google Assistant preloaded on the system.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 26 june to 02 July

• June 29 - System update for Ticwatch Pro 5: Vibration intensity improvements for notifications, alarm improvements and more.
  
  
• June 30 - Mobvoi starts a Beta program to test among users, upgrade to Wear OS 3 of Ticwatch Pro 3 and Ticwatch E3.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 03 to 23 July

• July 05 - System update for Google Pixel Watch: Latest security patch.
  
  
• July 10 - It is leaked that Google is going to start Wear OS 4 Beta program on Pixel Watch.
  
  
• July 13 - Pocket Casts comes out of Beta and officially launches for Wear OS 2 and Wear OS 3.
  
  
• July 19 - Whatsapp exits Beta and officially launches only for Wear OS 3.

 

[bernarbernuli]

{Mod edit: Quoted post has been deleted. Oswald Boelcke, Senior Moderator}

Please remove SPAM links at the end of your last 2 posts. If in a few hours I do not receive a response, or they have been deleted, I will ask the moderator to delete the 2 posts.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 24 to 30 July

• July 24 - It is leaked that Pixel Watch 2 will be launched with aluminum material (instead of stainless steel) and that the Fitbit workout app is improved.
  
  
• July 26 - Samsung presents Galaxy Watch 6 in 2 models: rotating bezel, thinner than Galaxy Watch 5 and with Wear OS 4 with One UI Wach layer. Available to the public from August 11.
  
  
• July 26 - It is announced that Amazon's Audible will soon be released as an app for Wear OS.
  
  
• July 28 - Samsung announces that it will expand the capabilities of the skin temperature sensor In Galaxy Watch 5 and 6, and developers will be able to use it for their own apps.
  
  
• July 29 - Exclusive watchfaces of the future Pixel Watch 2 are leaked.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 31 July to 06 August

• August 05 - It has been leaked that Pixel Watch 2 will launch with Wear OS 4, will be the same size as Pixel Watch (1.2") and will include UWB (ultra-wideband) technology. UWB is similar to Bluetooth.

 

[Lord Sithek]

A tip I want to share, maybe someone will find it useful

I was so annoyed by the fact I couldn't get rid of the GBoard vibrations on my TWP3U. Theoretically there is an option to disable it in Settings>Personalization>Input Methods>GBoard, but it seems to be buggy. After a reboot vibrations come back despite the option being disabled. So the solution I found is to issue this command via ADB:

cmd appops set com.google.android.inputmethod.latin VIBRATE ignore

Vibrations for the keyboard seem to be gone.

@bernarbernuli You could try it yourself, if you find it working and useful, maybe add it to the list in OP

 

[bernarbernuli]

A tip I want to share, maybe someone will find it useful

I was so annoyed by the fact I couldn't get rid of the GBoard vibrations on my TWP3U. Theoretically there is an option to disable it in Settings>Personalization>Input Methods>GBoard, but it seems to be buggy. After a reboot vibrations come back despite the option being disabled. So the solution I found is to issue this command via ADB:

cmd appops set com.google.android.inputmethod.latin VIBRATE ignore

Vibrations for the keyboard seem to be gone.

@bernarbernuli You could try it yourself, if you find it working and useful, maybe add it to the list in OP

Yes, that's great, I'd like to include it in the next WearOS Tools update.

 

[Lord Sithek]

Yes, that's great, I'd like to include it in the next WearOS Tools update.

Nice, glad I could have some "input"

 

[bernarbernuli]

What is known about the issue of Google Assistant on Wear OS 2 watches.

A few days ago the Wear OS companion app has been updated on Wear OS 2 watches such as Ticwatch Pro 3, Fossil Sport, Fossil Gen 5, OPPO Watch, etc., and many have been immediately disabled the Google Assistant and other users have received a message on the watch saying that the Google Assistant support on Wear OS 2 will end soon (since yesterday it is known that it will be on August 31) and there will only be support on Wear OS 3.

Google Assistant support on Wear OS 2 ending August 31 [U]

Google will soon stop supporting Assistant on Wear OS 2 watches and is encouraging people to upgrade to Wear OS 3 and newer...

9to5google.com

Opinion on what affects Mobvoi watches.

It is clear that Google is responsible for this move, but it is clear that it has caught Mobvoi off guard. The update to Wear OS 3 has been delayed, so much so that now Google has really put Mobvoi in a good compromise. Let's see if they say anything in the next few days because Google has put the pressure on them all at once.





Temporary solution to recover Google Assistant

If you have a watchface that you can customize complications, add the complication called "Google" and the assistant will appear again when you click on the complication. It will also work with OK Google.

It is possible that I am working until August 31, since for now it is only hidden, but it is possible that in future updates from the end of the month the Google Assistant will be completely removed, surely they will do the same thing that was done a few years ago with the strength training in Google, which was disabled for a few months, and then they removed it completely.

 

[bernarbernuli]

Wear OS News 07 to 20 August

• August 07 - Pixel Watch system update: Security patch update.
  
  
• August 09 - Compose for Wear OS developer tool and Wear Tiles libraries have been updated to a stable version, v1.2.
  
  
• August 14 - It is leaked that Google will update Google Assistant to add tiles with custom shortcuts.
  
  
• August 15 - One UI Watch 5 (based on Wear OS 4) is released for implementation on Galaxy Watch 5, and soon also on Galaxy Watch 4.
  
  
• August 16 - Mobvoi launches a new sand-colored variant of Ticwatch Pro 5. It has the same features as the black model. It currently costs $349.
  
  
• August 17 - Google reports that on August 31 support for Google Assistant on Wear OS 2 watches ends, only Wear OS 3 support will remain.
  
  
• August 17 - It is leaked that Google is working on a new feature, "Watch Unlock" that allows you to unlock your phone when you wear the watch on your wrist, improving the current "Smart Unlock" feature.
  
  
• August 18 - Google Pixel Watch 2 info leaks: Snapdragon W5 and Wear OS 4 confirmed.
  
  
• August 18 - YouTube Music is updated and now allows browsing within albums and playlists.