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Wear OS has been around for just under a decade, but it’s improved mightily over the last couple of years. With Google diving headfirst last year into the smartwatch hardware world after years of trepidation, the company has had reason to invest more in its software than it had beforehand. Even before the Google Pixel Watch came out, Google had purchased Fitbit, the most well-known fitness-centric smartwatch company, back in 2021. It’s been a steady few years for the smartwatch operating system, and it’s about to be an even better product as it’s either adding or upgrading three native fitness apps — AllTrails, MyFitnessPal, and Peloton — to its collection.
Native apps on your smartwatch make it easier to access the information you need at a moment’s notice with a quick glance at your wrist. Instead of basic notifications from your phone, you may interact with your watch’s screen without ever having to pull your smartphone out of your pocket. When you’re working out, spending time looking at your phone can be distracting, makingAllTrails, MyFitnessPal, and Peloton to Wear OSall good apps to have. Besides, you’re already potentially wearing your watch to track your heart rate and other internal medical levels anyway.
MyTrails is an app that shows you trail routes, stats, and alerts so you can be as prepared as possible for your next hike. With less internet reception or service in areas where major trails exist, it’s important to be able to have that information on hand. MyFitnessPal helps you track your eating habits, set goals for weight loss, and track your workouts with complications and watch faces. It’s a great tool if you’re starting down a weight loss journey or just want to understand what kind of nutrients you’ve been putting in your body. Peloton, known for its workout bikes more than anything, was already on Wear OS, but a new complication helps you track your workouts and will be directly on your watch face in Wear OS.
Google also officially announced native apps forGmail and Google Calendar (both of which we heard about through a rumor last year). Google teased Gmail coming to Wear OS for months, andit was officially made available on October 4. Also, Google Assistant, which is already built into Wear OS, is getting an app that will serve as a quick access tile on your watch home screen. Lastly, Audible is being released natively, whichSamsung confirmed for uswith the Galaxy Watch 6 Series announcement.
Wear OS keeps getting better, and with the recent release of the Google Pixel Watch 2, whichfixed a lot of things wrong with the original model, there’s reason to be excited about the future. Easier access to fitness apps will make it simpler to get in shape, which can typically be a large barrier to keeping your physical health in check.
UPDATE: 2025-06-24 18:19 EST BY WILL SATTELBERG
Clarification
Some of the apps highlighted by Google are pre-existing services adding complications or tiles. We’ve clarified our coverage.
