Skip to main content

Google improves Wear OS and Google Fit with health-focused updates

Google has announced several updates to Wear OS, its smartwatch software platform, as well as the Google Fit app. The updates concentrate on health, activity, and sleep, and the data provided will be easier to find than ever before. Even better, the Fit app’s changes are coming for both the Android and iOS versions.

What will we get? Let’s start with Wear OS. The changes here relate to Tiles, the quick-access information screens that appear with a left swipe on your smartwatch. The Workouts Tile adds a shortcut to show your most recent workouts, rather than having to dig into Google Fit’s menu to find them, and includes a shortcut to repeat the workout plan. You can also set goals and receive pace alerts from the Tile.

Recommended Videos

The Weather Tile is becoming more data rich, with detailed rain forecasts and meteorological alerts, plus it has a new look to make it easier to read quickly. Finally, the Breathe Tile adds a shortcut to Wear OS’ guided breathing exercises, and includes an overview of your heart rate during each one, plus a summary of sessions completed over the course of a week.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In Google Fit, you’re going to be greeted by a new home screen when you open the app. A new hub will make it easier to immediately see if you’re meeting daily and weekly goals, as well as your Heart Points and steps, along with some more specific data. For example, the hub shows heart rate and blood pressure (if you’re using a compatible device), plus weight alterations if you’re sharing them in the app.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google’s made some changes to the way Google Fit deals with sleep, but you’ll need to have a specific device or app to take advantage. Provided you have a new Fossil Gen 5E smartwatch, or an Android sleep app like Sleep Cycle or Sleep As Android, Google Fit will collate sleep stages and overnight movements, as well asd provide the ability to set sleep schedules. Fit’s new sleep features work with Withings’ Sleep Analyzer and the Oura Ring wearable.

Google says the new features will arrive over the next few days. Keep an eye on the Google Fit app for an update there, too.

Andy Boxall
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
Google Maps’ new feature sees Android play catchup to iOS
Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray showing Google Maps.

Android users are getting their first glimpse of a new operating system feature while using Google Maps, as the app is the first to make use of the Live Updates ability that was added for Android 16. The feature will give users updated information in their status bar so they can keep track of ongoing activity such as following directions using maps.

Similar to Apple's Live Activities system, the Android function can potentially be used by a range of apps but has first been seen in Google Maps. "Live Updates are a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities," Android developers explained in a post highlighting the feature when it was first announced.

Read more
Google Assistant may not be on Wear OS smartwatches much longer
Google Assistant listening on the Google Pixel Watch.

Google Assistant has been the go-to aide on Wear OS devices for years, but several lines of decompiled code in the latest Wear OS beta suggest Gemini is preparing to stage a coup. Version 16.0.5 of Wear OS contains several strings — a term that refers to a line of text or characters — that point to the inclusion of Gemini in an upcoming version of Wear OS.

Currently, the onboard assistant can be accessed by saying, "Hey Google," when the screen is active or just by holding down the side button. Google Assistant can send responses to messages, play music, and answer questions, all from the watch interface. During an APK teardown (a breakdown of code), the folks at 9to5Google discovered language that hints at an upcoming change, specifically with a line that says: "Easily talk back and forth to get more done with an assistant on your watch, reimagined with Google AI."

Read more
The next iOS 18 update is on its way. Here’s what we know
The iPhone 16 sitting on top of orange mums.

When iOS 18.2 released just over a week ago, it unlocked a lot of long-awaited features like Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, and improvements to writing tools. Now, it seems like another update could be just around the corner: version 18.2.1.

MacRumors found evidence of the update in their analytic logs, a source that has supposedly revealed quite a few iOS versions before release. Given that this is a minor update, it isn't likely to come with new features or anything groundbreaking. Instead, it will most likely be targeted at bug fixes, although no specific problems have been named. You should expect this update to drop either in late December or early January, but a year-end release is more likely.

Read more