Social media giant Meta has officially announced a dedicated WhatsApp app for smartwatches running on Google’s Wear OS. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the availability of the app for Wear OS on his Instagram Channel. This app will allow users to reply to messages, and take VoIPcalls directly from their smartwatch. This means that users won’t be required to have their phone connected to their watch.
WhatsApp app for WearOS: Availability and other details
Meta has already started rolling out the latest WearOS app which is compatible with smartwatches running Wear OS 3. The app will allow users to send and receive texts, emojis, quick replies as well as record voice messages directly from their wrists. The standalone WhatsApp app for WearOS was also announced by Google during the company’s annual developer conference, I/O 2023, in May. The long-anticipated app has been available for beta testers for more than a month now.
Apart from the WhatsApp app, Google also unveiled other third-party Wear OS apps, including Spotify and Peloton. The company also announced updates to its own apps, like Google Home, Gmail and Calendar, to deliver an improved experience on Wear OS-based smartwatches.
WhatsApp app for WearOS: Availability and other details
Meta has already started rolling out the latest WearOS app which is compatible with smartwatches running Wear OS 3. The app will allow users to send and receive texts, emojis, quick replies as well as record voice messages directly from their wrists. The standalone WhatsApp app for WearOS was also announced by Google during the company’s annual developer conference, I/O 2023, in May. The long-anticipated app has been available for beta testers for more than a month now.
Apart from the WhatsApp app, Google also unveiled other third-party Wear OS apps, including Spotify and Peloton. The company also announced updates to its own apps, like Google Home, Gmail and Calendar, to deliver an improved experience on Wear OS-based smartwatches.
WhatsApp app on Apple Watch
Apple’s watchOS does not currently have a dedicated WhatsApp app. This means Apple Watch users are unable to create new conversations or make calls via WhatsApp through the smartwatch. However, the Cupertino-based tech giant allows its users to check their incoming messages and respond to them from their Apple Watch’s screen. For that, users need to have the required notification settings enabled on their iPhones.
The WearOS WhatsApp app is likely to help Google better compete with the Apple Watch domination in the market. This will also encourage developers to bring new apps and experiences to the platform.
