Android Wear Update Introduces New Gestures, Speaker Support, More

Google is pushing out a major update to Android Wear that will activate the speakers on certain smartwatches. Timepieces like the Huawei Watch and the 49mm Asus ZenWatch 2 each come out of the box with a speaker, allowing users to make or take calls using Bluetooth. However, the speaker needs to be activated by Google, which it is with this update. Using an app like Glide, those with the Huawei Watch or the ZenWatch 2 (49mm) can listen to audio/visual messages following the update.

Other changes include the addition of new gestures to make navigating an Android Wear timepiece easier. Flicking your wrist will allow you to scroll up and down your card stream. Certain gestures will allow you to expand a particular card, bring up your apps and return to the watch face. The update will also allow users to send messages using a voice command. Certain messaging apps like Google Hangouts, Nextplus, Telegram, Viber, WeChat, and WhatsApp will support this new feature. You will be able to say, “OK Google, Send a WhatsApp message to Charlene: The Panthers will win the Stanley Cup."


The update will be sent out over the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for it