What’s in a name change? Well, we probably expected a lot when Google changed then name of their smartwatch platform from Android Wear to the seemingly simpler Wear OS. But since then, there hasn’t been much activity within the platform itself to please its new and old users. Finally, Google has released a new update and while there aren’t any major changes, it does improve certain aspects of the OS so your smartwatch can perform better.
First and probably most importantly for some, the update will make your Google Pay launch faster. For those who are so used to using their smartwatch to make quick payments at stores that support this mobile payment platform, speed is of the essence. If you’ve noticed that it takes a long time for your Pay app to open on your wearable, then you must definitely update to the latest Wear OS version as it promises that it will bring a “quick starting Google Pay”. And if it’s still not fast enough, hit them up on the support page.
The changelog also mentions a new “glanceable design” for your events and appointments. But since it previously showed full-screen reminders for when something is about to come up, it’s more likely a new or better UI so you don’t need to swipe or zoom when you’re looking at it. If you’ve been having time zone issues, the update also says they have fixed that bug as well.
The update for Wear OS is now rolling out to its Google Play page. This is actually one of the first times that Google is using this update method for the platform, so hopefully it’s a smoother and better way of doing it.
