Wear OS 5: Features, Supported Devices & More

Google has finally released the next major Wear OS version, i.e., Wear OS 5, marking this occasion as one of the first times Wear OS got a major update within a year. Wear OS 5 was in developer preview until the launch of Galaxy Watch 7 followed by the Pixel Watch 3, and it’s now seeding to more Wear OS devices. Here’s everything you need to know about Wear OS 5.

Wear OS 5: New Features

Wear OS 5 bumps up 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 definitely came as a surprise as we were anticipating Google to release it alongside Android 15 in October.

In terms of features, there are not a lot to start with. However, one of the highlights of the update is the Watch Face Format which was announced last year in partnership with Samsung.

It makes it easier for designers to build watch faces for Wear OS watches by using XML rather than executables. Besides, there are new ways to design watch faces and implement complications along with battery and performance optimizations.

While Wear OS 5 brings a significant change to watch faces, that’s about where the greatness ends though. Sure, it brings the new Voice recorder app, improvements to the Pixel Camera app, and a grid layout in the launcher, but those are all Pixel Watch-specific features. The actual Wear OS 5 features are one too few, and it feels like a minor incremental update.

Wear OS 5: Supported Watches

The recently released 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 the Samsung watches, One UI 6 Watch is currently in beta for Galaxy Watch 4 and above and is expected to be available by the end of this year. OnePlus, however, hasn’t shared a timeline of the Wear OS 5 release for the OnePlus Watch 2 and 2R yet. Here’s a list of all wearables expected to get 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

Besides 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 brought.

• Gemini on the wrist: Wear OS already offers users the ability to trigger Google Assistant using the Side button. Now, think about the possibility of Gemini on your wrist. Fascinating, right? It would certainly move Wear OS a step above Apple’s watchOS if that happens.
• More Apple Watch-like gestures: One nifty feature that Apple introduced first, then Samsung did with One UI 6 is the double-tap functionality. It allows users to interact with alerts, calls, notifications, camera shutters, timers, and other apps with a pinch of fingers. The Pixel Watch is devoid of basic gestures, and this update doesn’t improve on the experience.
• Raise to Wake calibration: We recently explained why Tilt-to-wake is a problem that Wear OS needs to fix soon. With the recent update, we expected it to introduce ways to calibrate or set raise to wake sensitivity, but that hasn’t changed one bit.
• Quick settings and notifications from any apps: One thing I like about watchOS is that no matter what app or screen I’m on, I can access the Watch’s Control Center or Notifications Center anytime. While One UI Watch has had this feature, the same is absent on Wear OS on the Pixel Watch. It forces you to return to the home screen for simple tasks like checking the notifications or disabling Wi-Fi. I was hoping this would be solved in Wear OS 5. But alas, I’ll have to wait for Google to release the next version to fix this, hopefully.
• Integrate Fitbit’s tracking tools efficiently: Google and Samsung both offer dedicated sensors to monitor your health and sleep routine. Having acquired Fitbit over three years ago, Wear OS still hasn’t quite implemented Fitbit’s health-tracking tools and insights to their full potential. I hope future Wear OS versions change this approach and make it easy for users to access their tracking data from any device.

And that was all you need to know about the new version. What are some of the features that you would like to see in future Wear OS versions? Let us know in the comments.