Skip to main content

Got an Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch? You can finally use it to hail an Uber ride

Attention, Android Wear smartwatch owners: You can finally hail an Uber from your wrist. Support for the Wear app was announced at I/O 2015, Google’s annual developer conference, but it has taken the ride-booking company a whopping 21 months to deliver.

Now that Android Wear 2.0 is available on the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style — with a roll out to current smartwatches arriving at the end of the month — apps can be downloaded directly by the Android Wear Play Store app without the need for a phone. The stand-alone watch features in version 2.0 also mean you hardly need to interact with your phone to hail a ride with the Uber app.

Recommended Videos

After installation, open the Uber app and you’ll be prompted to sign in — you’ll need to enter your login details via your phone, but you don’t need the Uber app on your phone to do this. You’ll then need to allow the Wear app to access your location — and that’s it. You can then drop a pin wherever you want and press the check mark. Set a destination, choose what type of ride and price you want — you have all the options depending on your location from UberPool and UberX to UberXL and SUV. Tap request, and a driver should be on the way.

You can check the driver’s ETA and progress to you, and the vehicle’s model and license plate number. Once you’re in the car you can view your progress to your destination.

Right now, it looks like Uber is the only on-demand ride-hailing service for Android Wear users — there’s no alternative, though Lyft used to have an app. It’s likely the company is working on a Android Wear 2.0 stand-alone app to compete with Uber.

You can download the Uber app from the Android Wear Play Store now if you have the LG Watch Sport or Style, but you’ll have to wait until the latest version of the smartwatch operating system makes its way to existing smartwatches later this month.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
Your Google One plan just got 2 big security updates to keep you safe online
Two Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones.

Google just added some major new security features to keep its Google One subscribers safe while on the web. After all, the internet is where you spend a lot of your time, whether that's looking things up, paying bills, shopping, booking appointments, or sharing photos with family and friends. That’s a lot of information, and Google wants to keep subscribers safe from the darker side of the web.

Regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android smartphone, all Google One subscribers are getting the following two security features.
VPN by Google One for everyone

Read more
Wear OS 3 is finally coming to these older smartwatches this month
Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6 on the wrist.

Wear OS 3 has been supported by Samsung smartwatches for over a year at this point, but now it's finally coming to Fossil devices in just a few days. While the launch of the Google Pixel Watch today has put Wear OS 3 back in the spotlight, Fossil smartwatches are the first to be upgraded from the previous Wear OS 2 version.

While it's certainly exciting that Wear OS 3 is coming to more devices, it's important to note that it won't be headed to all of Fossil's lineup. As reported by Android Central, the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition will be launching with Wear OS 3; the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6 will all be receiving the OS update together when the Wellness Edition launches. Luckily, fans won't have to wait long as the update rolls out on October 17.

Read more
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