Google Wear OS 4: Features, release date, and more

As the wearables market continues to heat up, Google launched Wear OS 4, this year’s update to the company’s operating system. Android-based smartwatches eligible for the update can expect many improvements and a few new features. Read on to find out everything we know about the newest Wear OS and learn which watches can expect to see the update.

Wear OS 4 release date

Wear OS 4 formally debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series on July 26, 2023, but hit wrists on August 11. While Samsung was first to the punch, Google introduced its Wear OS 4 challenger in the form of the Pixel Watch 2 a few months later. It gave us our first look at the OS without Samsung’s One UI overlay. Wear OS 4 has also been made available on the Galaxy Watch 4 series and 5 series. We expect the OS to roll out to other Wear OS models in the coming months.

Is there a Wear OS 4 beta?

Samsung released a beta version of the new software leading up to its release; however, now all relevant devices have access to the stable Wear OS 4.

Wear OS 4 features

From a convenience standpoint, the most exciting (and long overdue) Wear OS 4 feature is its new backup and restore support. Users can finally swap to a new phone or watch without factory resetting their wearables. The update also adds new apps for Gmail and Google Calendar, making it easier than ever to manage events and schedules and answer emails right from the wrist.

There are a few Pixel Watch 2-specific features, too. Google’s new watch benefits from improved Fitbit integration. The platform now accepts voice queries through Google Assistant, allowing users to ask their watch about their health stats throughout the day. The watch also includes a new Safety Check feature. Like Pixel smartphones, the feature lets trusted contacts know your location at a scheduled time. If you cannot manually confirm your status, the watch will ping off your location automatically.

Meanwhile, Wear OS 4 also brings improved integration within the Home app, including smart device controls and notifications. Additionally, the platform boasts a WhatsApp app, which rolled out to Wear OS 3 earlier this summer. This app even allows users to answer WhatsApp calls from their devices. Popular apps Spotify and Peloton also each issued app improvements within the platform.

Finally, when Google announced Wear OS 4, the company also promised more power efficiency and battery-saving performance. To this end, Samsung and Google teamed up to create Watch Face Format, making it easier for developers to create watch faces that drain less juice.

Wear OS 4 compatibility

As of yet, the rollout schedule isn’t entirely clear regarding the newest Wear OS. Currently, the Galaxy Watch 4, 5, and 6 series devices and the original Pixel Watch are the only watches running or eligible to update to the latest software. Given its role in developing Wear OS 3, we’re not surprised to see Samsung get a lead on competitors regarding the latest software.

Other devices potentially eligible for the update include Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5, which arrived in May, and Fossil’s latest family of Wear OS devices. To be frank, though, the Wear OS 3 rollout was a bit of a mess. Some promised devices still haven’t received the update more than two years later. We hope to see a smoother launch for Wear OS 4, but we’re skeptical.