Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

There’s a Wear OS alternative called AsteroidOS that you can install now

By
AsteroidOS 1.0 Release

Not really feeling your current smartwatch OS? Well there’s no longer any need to feel shackled to Google’s Wear OS or older Android Wear, as a new option has just launched. After four years of development, AsteroidOS has launched with support for Android smartphones.

Recommended Videos

If you want to try it out, you’ll need one of a fairly limited list of smartwatches, with the LG G Watch, LG G Watch Urbane, LG G Watch R, Asus Zenwatch 1, Asus Zenwatch 2, Asus Zenwatch 3, and Sony Smartwatch 3 being currently supported on this version of the OS. Don’t worry if your watch isn’t currently supported — support for more devices is planned, and a guide on how to port new watches to the OS has been written.

Related

If you’re lucky enough to have an already supported device, there’s an installation guide to walk you through the process that also includes details on exactly how supported each smartwatch is — for instance, there’s no support for sensors on the LG G Watch Urbane, while the Asus Zenwatch 1 has full support.

There’s the option to dual-boot or completely replace whichever OS your watch is currently running, and although the selection of functions is unsurprisingly limited, the first release of AsteroidOS comes with notifications, an agenda, an alarm clock, a calculator, a music controller, a weather forecast app, as well as other various bits and pieces. It’s an impressive roster, and all you need if you just use your watch for notifications, music control, and as — well — a watch. There’s also support for 20 languages, including Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, and others. Future updates plan to add various features like always-on display, calendar syncing, and more.

If you’re a tad handier with code than the usual user, then you might be interested in the also released development SDK. Being open source and based on Linux, it shouldn’t be too hard for would-be developers to get going on AsteroidOS, and some examples and a tutorial have been put together for anyone who’s willing to look into developing new apps for the OS. Because AsteroidOS has been built on Linux and some other handy-dandy Linux tech, the devs boast that AsteroidOS will be able to run pretty much anything — including Quake.

AsteroidOS seems to have been something of a labor of love for its developers, with lead developer Florent Revest thanking the 100 contributors who helped AsteroidOS grow and mature.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen
Contributor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Wear OS 4 is coming to your smartwatch this year — here’s what’s new
The main menu screens on the Pixel Watch and the Galaxy Watch 5.

Wear OS is getting a major update with Wear OS 4, and with it, Google's promising a big improvement to the overall smartwatch experience.

Announced today at Google I/O 2023, Wear OS 4 is adding a slew of new features on both a system level as well as an individual app level, meaning that smartwatch owners will be able to have a more streamlined and productive experience when using their devices.

Read more
If watchOS 10 looks like this, I need it on my Apple Watch right now
watchOS 10 home screen reimagined through a concept render

We’re fast approaching Apple’s WWDC on June 5, where we will not only get a glimpse of what’s to come in Apple product software updates but possibly a look at the hyped-up mixed reality headset. But even if you aren’t interested in the AR/VR stuff, Apple will still be showing iOS/iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14 too.

This year has also had a lot of back and forth going on in the rumor mill, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman saying that iOS 17 may be a quiet release this year, then later saying it may be big by bringing highly requested user features. He also claimed that while the Apple Watch itself may have more modest hardware upgrades this year, there may be more focus on the software front with watchOS 10 instead.

Read more
One of last year’s most luxurious smartwatches finally has Wear OS 3
Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Classic watch face.

Tag Heuer has announced that its luxurious Calibre E4 smartwatch range is all set to receive an update to Google's Wear OS 3 software, and that it will bring with it significant changes.

Google announced Wear OS 3 in May 2021, while Tag Heuer released the 42mm Connected Calibre E4 and 45mm Connected Calibre E4 in 2022, so the update has been a long time coming.

Read more