Skip to main content

PayPal, Google Maps and Pinterest among the first Android Wear-ready apps

paypal google maps pinterest among first android wear ready apps
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We heard a lot about Android Wear at Google I/O, including the first three smartwatches to sport the software: the LG G Watch, the Samsung Gear Live and the Moto 360. Now the first Android Wear-compatible apps are appearing on Google Play, including some of Google’s own software.

Android Wear smartwatches already support notifications from your phone out-of-the-box — they work like an extension of the notification drawer on your handset, so you can check emails and texts and even control music playback. All apps can work with Android Wear in this way without any changes, but some code tweaks are required to take advantage of advanced notifications, extra voice input commands and sensor inputs (such as the heart rate monitor on the Samsung Gear Live).

When you see an app announced as updated for Android Wear, it means it has been modified to specifically take advantage of the functions on the new smartwatches. Pinterest has been quick off the mark, updating its app to buzz your watch whenever you go past a location related to something you’ve pinned. PayPal has also announced a beta version of its next app with Android Wear support — it enables users to check-in and pay on the go, and get payment notifications on their wrists.

Music tracking and sharing service Soundwave is another app that’s been updated for Android Wear, enabling following and sharing from a smartwatch (handy when you’re out on the morning jog). Google is of course keen to get all of its apps up to speed with the new wearable technology, and Phandroid spotted that both Maps and Keep have been upgraded with extra smartwatch-ready functionality.

Google Keep was one of the apps shown off in the Android Wear demo at the I/O keynote, where the wearable SDK was officially released to developers. All app updates are still handled via a compatible Android handset, with the Wear components automatically pushed out to the smartwatch as required.

Editors' Recommendations

David Nield
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
Google wants you to know Android apps aren’t just for phones anymore
Person holding Samsung Galaxy smartphone showing Google Play Store.

When most people think of the Google Play Store, the first thing that comes to mind is smartphones. However, the spread of the Android ecosystem is far broader than that, and Google is taking steps to increase awareness of this and make it easier for folks to find apps on the Play Store for their smart TVs, watches, and even cars.

In a blog post today, the Google Play team announced three significant changes that should make it easier for Android fans to discover apps for all their devices, right from their phone. This includes recommendations of apps for non-phone devices, a search filter to focus on only games optimized for non-phone devices, and even a remote install feature that will let you deliver those apps to your Android TV, Wear OS watch, or Android Automotive-equipped car.

Read more
Google Drive, Docs, and other apps are getting way better on Android tablets
new workspace updates for android tablets.

Google is bringing the desktop experience for its core Workspace apps to Android tablets, adding some much-needed productivity flair. The changes, which come in the wake of announcements made at I/O earlier this year, are targeted at improving the split-screen multitasking experience after laying down the foundations with Android 12L.

The first and most important change is the ability to drag and drop images from an app running in one window to another app running side by side in a second window. Google says the Chrome browser and Workspace apps like Sheets will support the drag-and-drop trick for Docs and spreadsheet cells, among other services.

Read more
Android 12L and Wear OS 3 show Google still isn’t serious about tablets and smartwatches
Onn Android Tablet on Table

Late last year, Google introduced Android 12L, its operating system optimized specifically for tablets and foldables. After years of neglect, Google showed it was finally taking the form factor seriously. The same went for Wear OS 3, with Google breathing new life into smartwatches. There's just one problem for both.

As of the time of writing, not one tablet, foldable, or smartwatch has been updated to either of these operating systems. Google has planned to overhaul how its smartwatch and tablet platforms work for the better, but the company's rollout has undermined its ambitious plans.
Google's lofty ambitions

Read more