What you need to know
- Google’s Wear OS Clock app is now exclusive to Pixel smartwatches only.
- Non-Pixel watches will lose access to the Clock app and updates.
- Wear OS 6 upgrades rolling out for eligible devices, enhancing user experience.
Earlier this week, Google confirmed it will withdraw its Wear OS Clock app from non-Pixel smartwatches, affecting users who relied on its features. The decision to keep things exclusive to Pixel watches supposedly stems from growing competition as brands pursue proprietary alternatives, altering the Wear OS landscape.
In a Wear OS support thread, the tech giant said it has halted support for its Clock app on all non-Pixel smartwatches. The post states, if you have a Pixel Watch, you won’t be affected by this new decision. However, if you have “any other Wear OS” watch, you will see this change. To break this down, Google says that watches without the Clock app installed already will no longer find it available via the Play Store.
If you’ve already previously installed the Clock app, you can continue to use it, though you should know that it will no longer receive updates.
Google explains that the reason it’s made this change is due to other “watch brands offering their own default clock apps on Wear OS.” As a result, Google’s Clock app, which you could previously download on, say, a Galaxy Watch, has been retracted. The clock is gone, as well as the included alarm, timer, and stopwatch functions within the app.
Some users on the Wear OS support thread have already voiced their displeasure with the move, but it seems that Google’s decision is set in stone. The company highlights the availability of other clock apps on the Play Store for Wear OS watches, as an alternative for users looking for something different.
This is certainly a change
Wear OS 6 started moving eligible devices into its new, more expressive wristbound world this year. The Pixel Watch 4 already came with this newer software, and Google started rolling it out to its past-gen devices in October.
A few weeks ago, Pixel Watch 3 and 2 users started receiving their Wear OS 6 upgrade (things look bleak for the O.G. Pixel Watch). Originally, the OTA images started appearing for the update, and Android Central quickly confirmed that it had begun hitting the two aforementioned watches officially. Users should’ve seen it earlier this month, but it’s likely that now, late in October, even more should have it.
The Wear OS 6 demo that Google showcased detailed a smoother scrolling experience with a fully immersive UI for its unique glass-domed Pixel Watch display.
Does this affect the Google Clock app on Pixel Watches?
Pixel Watch owners are unaffected. The Google Clock app will continue to come pre-installed, function normally, and receive future updates from the Play Store on all Pixel Watch models.
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