Google took its fair share of time to bring Assistant to Wear OS 3. While theGalaxy Watch 4series launched running Wear OS 3 in August 2021, Google Assistant debuted for the platform almost a year later in June 2022. Even now, a year since the voice assistant’s Wear OS 3 release, it is available on a handful of smartwatches. So, there’s no guarantee that your new Wear OS 3 watch will have access to voice commands. Amidst all this confusion and to make matters more complicated, Google has killed Assistant access for Wear OS 2 watches.
Over the last week or so, Google sent out notifications to existing Wear OS 2 smartwatch users (viaReddit) informing them about the impending death of Google Assistant for the platform. It urges them to upgrade to a newer watch with Assistant support.Mishaal Rahmanfirst highlighted this change, and within hours of his initial tweet, Assistant access was disabled for him and many others on their Wear OS 2 watch.
Fossil updated its compatible watches to Wear OS 3in October 2022, and while the initial firmware lacked Google Assistant support, it wasadded with an update in June 2023. So, the demise of Google Assistant for Wear OS 2 should primarily affect TicWatch users. Despite Wear OS 3 being out for over two years, the company has been unable to roll out the upgrade for theTicWatch Pro 3 UltraandTicWatch E3.
In May this year,TicWatch revealed why it was strugglingwith the update and promised a Q3 2023 release timeframe. With over half of the third quarter already gone, the company only has around a month to live up to its promise. TicWatch is running a Wear OS 3 beta program, but it is a closed beta, so not everyone can join it. Plus, TicWatch’s Wear OS 3 firmware is not guaranteed to have Google Assistant access.
If your current Wear OS 2 smartwatch has reached its end of life and will not get the Wear OS 3 update, consider upgrading to thePixel Watchor theSamsung Galaxy Watch 6.
Coincidentally, Google is pulling the plug on Assistant for Wear OS 2 as it prepares anew way to interact with the voice assistant on Wear OS 3 watches.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is the best and, currently, the only smartwatch on the market running Android 13-based Wear OS 4. Featuring an upgraded Exynos W930 SoC and a beefy 425mAh battery for all-day battery life.
