WhatsApp gets a dedicated app for Wear OS 3-powered smartwatches

By Abhik SenguptaWhatsApp is rolling out a dedicated app for smartwatches running Wear OS 3 and above. First teased at Google I/O 2023, the new app lets users stay connected with others even if they don’t have a phone with them. This is highly useful if the smartwatch is LTE-capable, meaning it supports cellular connectivity with an eSIM. The app is also straightforward. Users can respond with voice messages, emoji, regular text, and quick replies.

The timing of the rollout is also interesting as Samsung will launch its next-gen Galaxy Watch 6 series on July 26. Samsung has been closely working with Google to improve the Wear OS for smartwatches. Google has also been working on the OS following the launch of the Pixel Watch. Adding new and popular apps will attract many Android users and retain them in the system.

The new WhatsApp app for Wear OS simply means more features. Until now, users on Wear OS could reply to WhatsApp messages as many smartwatches provided a reply option. With the new app, users can send voice messages which weren’t available earlier. The WhatsApp app for Apple Watches remains unavailable.

With this, WhatsApp has expanded its app support to another platform. The company provides an app for phones, Android tablets, desktops, and the web.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart posted about the new app on Meta’s Threads app. In a post, Cathcart writes, “Whatsapp is now available on Wear OS! You can start new conversations, reply to messages, and take audio calls from your watch. Download it from the Play Store.” Mark Zuckerberg has lauded the rollout of the app.

In other WhatsApp-related news, Meta has rolled out a new feature on its messaging app to let users send texts without saving numbers.

The new option improves communication with unknown numbers, eliminating the hassle of saving contacts beforehand. In the current setup, texting an unknown number on WhatsApp requires saving it in your phone’s contacts, but the messaging platform is simplifying this process by doing away with the need to save contacts first. Some users are already receiving this update, while a mass rollout is expected soon. Users need to ensure they are using the latest version of WhatsApp. Following that, simply open the app and tap on the “Start new chat” button. In the search bar, enter the unknown number you wish to connect with, and WhatsApp will search for the contact to find a match.