Wear OS 4: The 5 Biggest Changes Coming to Android’s Smartwatch Platform
Wear OS 3 has come a long way since its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series in 2021. Thanks to Google’s efforts, the platform has managed to attract both developers and consumers alike. But Google is not sitting idle. The company is working on Wear OS 4, the next major release of its wearable OS.
Due to launch sometime in the second half of 2023, here is a look at some of the most significant changes and improvements that Wear OS 4 will pack.
1. Native Backup and Restore Support
Right now, Wear OS does not offer any native backup and restore tool. So, if you switch your phone or move from one Wear OS device to another, you’ll have to set up the wearable from scratch again.
While Samsung provides backup and restore support on its Wear OS-based Galaxy Watches, the tool only works with its own wearables and not other Wear OS devices. This will change with the release of Wear OS 4 later in 2023. The OS will add a native backup and restore tool, making it easier to switch between devices.
Another handy usability improvement is that your Wear OS 4 watch will automatically carry over permissions you have already granted on your phone.
2. The Watch Face Format
While there are plenty ofthird-party watch faces for Wear OS 3, they all offer a wildly inconsistent experience. And some designers find developing Wear OS watch faces challenging because it requires coding knowledge.
To solve this problem, Google has partnered with Samsung to develop the Watch Face Format. It will enable you to create watch faces for Wear OS 4 in a declarative XML format without writing any executable code. The OS will handle the optimizations to render the watch face in the most battery-efficient way possible.
There are other advantages of this format, too. It has a built-in watch face editor, so developers won’t have to create one. Plus, the watch face will not require an update to take advantage of any low-level battery or performance improvements that Google rolls out to Wear OS. And like before, you cancustomize Wear OS watch faces with complications.
you’re able to useSamsung’s Watch Face Studioto create Wear OS 4 watch faces in the new format.
3. Performance and Battery Life Improvements
The next major Wear OS release will pack performance and battery life improvements. Based on Android 13, Google says in its announcement onThe Keywordthat Wear OS 4 will help extend the battery life of smartwatches by being more power efficient. Google will make several underlying optimizations and changes to reduce the OS’s power consumption.
Until Wear OS 4 lands, check out our guide onhow to boost the battery life of your Wear OS smartwatch.
4. Splash Screen for Apps
To improve the app experience on its smartwatches, Google is introducing app splash screen support in Wear OS 4.
Now, how will a splash screen help enhance the user experience? The screen will act as a buffer while the app loads all its elements in the background. It will also serve as a sign that your tap has actually launched the app.
Wear OS 4 will apply a splash screen to all apps by default. However, developers are free to implement their custom splash screens if they wish. This small change will significantly enhance thebest Wear OS apps.
5. More Reliable Text-to-Speech
To deliver an improved accessibility experience, Wear OS 4 will offer a faster and more reliable text-to-speech engine. This should result in clearer hands-free reading, especially with apps like WhatsApp coming to the platform.
You should be able to hear the messages your friends send more clearly, without having to look at your smartwatch’s relatively tiny screen.
Wear OS 4 Will Pack a Lot More Changes
Google will debut Wear OS 4 formally in the second half of 2023 and it will offer many more changes on top of the ones that have been unveiled so far. As its launch gets closer, we should hear more about Wear OS 4’s new features.
Depending on how big of an upgrade Wear OS 4 is, it may not be compatible with your existing Wear OS 3 watch, although modern Galaxy Watch devices do receive software updates for four years. The update may not arrive on the same day the OS is released, though. Full details on availability will be available when it launches.
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