WhatsApp is introducing Wear OS smartwatch

First Teased at Google I/OMeta just announced that WhatsApp is officially offering Wear OS smartwatches starting today, provided you have a Wear OS 3 smartwatch.

The app itself is not complicated. This will allow users to start new conversations, reply to messages and take calls from the wrist. They’ll also be able to reply with voice messages, emoji, regular texts, and quick replies. And if you have an LTE-enabled Wear OS 3 watch, you’ll be able to reply to messages without having to have your phone nearby.

The main thing here is time and access. For starters, the Samsung Unpacked event is next week, where we can expect to see the new Galaxy Watch 6 and, if rumors are to be believed, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. There’s a good chance that Samsung’s new watches will be the first to run Wear OS 4 — just like the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup was the first to debut Wear OS 3. The release of Wear OS apps now speeds up what’s making Wear OS as well as Unpacked. more attractive for whatsapp 2.24 billion active users, Meta also sees a chance to expand its wearable presence on an established platform, especially since it abandoned its smartwatch ambitions last year.

It’s also a continuation of Google’s effort to strengthen Wear OS’s third-party app ecosystem. Alongside WhatsApp, the company revealed at I/O that Spotify is set to release new Tiles for its Wear OS app this year, while Peloton also recently launched its Wear OS app.

In other words, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.