Google Assistant to be Removed from Older Wear OS Devices
In the near future, Google plans to discontinue its support for Assistant on smartwatches operating on Wear OS 2. A message in the latest version of the Wear OS companion app states, “Google Assistant support on this watch is ending soon. Please switch to a newer watch that is compatible with Google Assistant and runs Wear OS 3 or a later version.”
The companion app is only required for devices running Wear OS 2 or earlier versions of the operating system. Wear OS 3 devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Fossil smartwatches, and of course the Pixel Watch have a separate Assistant app.
This change affects many older watches from 2020 and earlier, including models from Tag Heuer, Mobvoi, Motorola, Oppo, Xiaomi, Misfit, Casio, and LG. Wikipedia has a useful list of Wear OS devices and the latest versions of the operating system they support. However, since this is Wikipedia, it’s worth checking elsewhere to see if your watch can actually run Wear OS 3.
It’s not clear when Google plans to end Assistant support on these older watches. However, if you rely on Assistant on a Wear OS 2 device, you may want to update it soon. Google is expected to announce its second Pixel Watch within the next couple of months. The company typically holds a large hardware event every October.
