Google has finally released the next major version of Wear OS, Wear OS 5, marking the occasion as one of the first times Wear OS has received a major update in a year. Wear OS 5 was in developer preview until the launch of the Galaxy Watch 7, followed by the Pixel Watch 3, and is now rolling out to more Wear OS devices. Here’s everything you need to know about Wear OS 5.
Wear OS 5: release date
Google announced Wear OS 5 at Google I/O 2024, but didn’t specify a launch date at the time. The Pixel Watch 3 ( review ), Galaxy Watch 7 , and Galaxy Watch Ultra ( review ) were the only Wear OS 5 watches on the market until Google announced the same for the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2.
Wear OS 5 was released on September 25, 2024and is available on all Pixel watches and Galaxy Watch 7. The update will soon hit all Galaxy watches, starting with the Galaxy Watch 4 series (more information below).
Wear OS 5: New features
Wear OS 5 bumps the Android version from Android 13 to 14. Reports suggest that Google is already working on Wear OS 5.1 based on Android 15. Wear OS 5 for older Pixel Watches certainly came as a surprise as we were expecting Google to release it alongside Android 15 in October.
In terms of features, there’s not much to start with. However, one of the highlights of the update is the Watch Face format that has been announcement last year in partnership with Samsung.
It makes it easier for designers to create watch faces for Wear OS watches using XML instead of executables. Additionally, there are new ways to design watch faces and implement complications as well as battery and performance optimizations.
While Wear OS 5 brings a significant change to watch faces, that’s pretty much where the greatness ends. Sure, it brings the new voice recording app, improvements to the Pixel Camera app, and a grid layout in the launcher, but those are all new things. all Pixel Watch specific featuresThe actual features of Wear OS 5 are too few and it feels like a minor incremental update.
Wear OS 5: Supported watches
The recently published Pixel Watch 3 And Galaxy Watch 7 / Ultra were the first to launch with Wear OS 5. The Pixel Watch 2 and the original Pixel Watch are the latest wearables to join the list.
As for Samsung watches, One UI 6 Watch is currently in beta for Galaxy Watch 4 and later and is expected to be available by the end of this year. OnePlus has not yet shared a release schedule for Wear OS 5 for the OnePlus Watch 2 and 2R, however. Here’s a list of all the wearables that are expected to receive the update.
- Google Pixel Watch 2 (Available now)
- Google Pixel Watch (Available Now)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series (coming soon)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series (coming soon)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series (coming soon)
- OnePlus Watch 2, 2R (coming soon)
Features I miss on Wear OS 5
Aside from a few Android 14-specific features and battery life improvements, it doesn’t bring much to the table. Here are all the features I wish it would bring.
- Gemini on the wrist: Wear OS already offers users the ability to trigger Google Assistant using the side button. Now imagine the possibility of having Gemini on your wrist. Fascinating, right? If that were to happen, Wear OS would certainly be a step above Apple’s watchOS.
- Even more Apple Watch-like gestures:A nifty feature introduced first by Apple, and then by Samsung with One UI 6, is the double-tap feature. It lets users interact with alerts, calls, notifications, camera triggers, timers, and other apps with a simple pinch of their fingers. The Pixel Watch lacks basic gestures, and this update doesn’t improve the experience.
- Calibration of the rise on awakening:We recently explained why the tilt-to-wake issue is something Wear OS needs to fix quickly. With the recent update, we expected it to introduce ways to calibrate or adjust the sensitivity of tilt-to-wake, but that hasn’t changed at all.
- Quick settings and notifications from any app:One thing I love about watchOS is that no matter what app or screen I’m on, I can access the watch’s Control Center or Notification Center at any time. While One UI Watch had this feature, it’s missing from Wear OS on the Pixel Watch. It forces you to go back to the home screen for simple tasks like checking notifications or turning off Wi-Fi. I was hoping this would be fixed in Wear OS 5. But alas, I’ll have to wait until Google releases the next version to hopefully fix this issue.
- Effectively integrate Fitbit tracking tools:Google and Samsung both offer dedicated sensors to monitor your health and sleep routine. After acquiring Fitbit over three years ago, Wear OS still hasn’t fully leveraged Fitbit’s health tracking tools and insights. I hope future versions of Wear OS will change this approach and allow users to easily access their tracking data from any device.
And that’s all you need to know about the new version. What features would you like to see in future versions of Wear OS? Let us know in the comments.
