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Where's the new Wear OS update?

The_Chief

The_Chief

Accept no imitations!
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Three weeks ago I couldn't look at tech blogs without being bombarded with stories about the upcoming update to Wear OS, scheduled to begin rollout in mid-September.

Well, here we are in LATE September and...?

Has anyone here gotten it? Know anyone who has? Heard or read anything lately about it? Now the silence in the tech blogs is deafening... like it's not a thing and never was!

So if you have information on the mysterious disappearance of the Wear OS update, please share it with us...
 
All we have to go on is the nebulously-worded "over the next month" phrase from the Google Blog post. That was published on August 29 so we still have a few more days before that one-month timeframe runs out.

As far as I'm aware, Google never said anything about mid-September - that would have been an inference ("guess") on the part of tech blogs.

Hopefully we'll see it this week. :)
 
APK Mirror has the phone AND watch APKs for Wear OS 2.16... the latest version is dated today, September 26th. I updated the phone version: but how the heck do I install the watch version? I connected the watch to my PC, and I can see it... but I can't copy the APK to it. Any help here would be appreciated...
 
The_Chief said:
APK Mirror has the phone AND watch APKs for Wear OS 2.16... the latest version is dated today, September 26th. I updated the phone version: but how the heck do I install the watch version? I connected the watch to my PC, and I can see it... but I can't copy the APK to it. Any help here would be appreciated...
Click to expand...
You'll need to use ADB to sideload it... but I'm not sure if the 2.16 version brings the new UI. I haven't seen anyone post about getting the new UI yet. It may be one of those server-side switches.
 
codesplice said:
You'll need to use ADB to sideload it... but I'm not sure if the 2.16 version brings the new UI. I haven't seen anyone post about getting the new UI yet. It may be one of those server-side switches.
Click to expand...

Here are the details of 2.16:

https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/...ts-optional-media-controls-much-apk-teardown/

I know that Chrome browser has an ADB extension, so you can flash devices with the browser. While it's not my browser of choice, it seems like the path of least resistance for this task.

@codesplice do you have a link to the ADB commands for sideloading an APK to the watch? If it matters, I have the Huawei Watch 2 Classic... so I will have the little charging puck connected to the PC.
 
The_Chief said:
Here are the details of 2.16:

https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/...ts-optional-media-controls-much-apk-teardown/
Click to expand...

Pretty much all of that was revealed in the teardown which indicates the code is there but isn't active yet.

@codesplice do you have a link to the ADB commands for sideloading an APK to the watch? If it matters, I have the Huawei Watch 2 Classic... so I will have the little charging puck connected to the PC.
Click to expand...

Should pretty much be "adb devices" to make sure the watch is detected and then "adb install <package>.apk".
 
Thanks... I have the phone app updated, but I won't really get anything out of it until the watch is updated. Any particular folder the watch APK needs to be in? Root? Internal, external?
 
Ah, yeah, sorry, I did forget that you'll need to first "adb push package.apk /sdcard/" and then "adb install /sdcard/package.apk".
 
It sounds like the necessary code is included in the 2.16 app update but won't be activated until a server-side switch happens. I'm not sure the timeframe on that switch, and it seems to be a slow rollout. I guess this way they can get any bugfixes included with 2.16 out to the masses while slowly turning on the new UI while watching for reports of problems. And, presumably, if there are major problems they can just flip a switch to revert to the old UI.

Waiting sure sucks though. Some users on Reddit have managed to force-enable the appropriate flags and activate the new UI without waiting, but it seems like a pretty involved process:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WearOS/com...sysui3_feature_flags_on_my_zw3_heres/e6v57ag/
 
If it's a really convoluted process, then I accept that Google has a good reason why they aren't active yet. I'll just be patient. No I won't: I'm wearing out the button checking for updates...
 
Unforgiven said:
Holy crap!!! I just realized that my ner 3YO Gen one Huatch will be getting this. That is pretty impressive.
Click to expand...
Of course when you think about the hardware hasn't changed *at all* I'm less impressed by it all, lol
lunatic59 said:
I just got it on my Q Explorist. It updated in the middle of a sales meeting so I really couldn't play. :(

So far I like what I'm seeing in terms of swipes and notifications.
Click to expand...

Samsies, played with some on my Fossil and love it. I've been using a Ticwatch lately though and do not like the watch as much, or there Tic health app... New experience is better on the Fossil imo
codesplice said:
Woohoo! It's real!
Click to expand...

;)
 
NightAngel79 said:
I've been using a Ticwatch lately though and do not like the watch as much, or there Tic health app...
Click to expand...

I actually kind of like the Tic app for actively tracking workouts - it seems to be a bit more accurate than Google Fit. Fit wins for background activity tracking though.

And it's mega-dumb that the Tic app replaces Fit in the new UI's fitness panel (swipe left from the clock) and can't be changed.
 
There is a technique that has been reported on XDA to force the update. It has been shown to work on some devices, and not on others. It will not work on my Huatch 2, but it may work for you.

Go into the Pay Store on your watch, and look at the installed apps. Scroll to Wear OS and uninstall it. You will be given the option to Update the app, select it. It will update. You'll go through that tutorial again, and may be prompted to update the operating system.

Try it!
 
codesplice said:
I actually kind of like the Tic app for actively tracking workouts - it seems to be a bit more accurate than Google Fit. Fit wins for background activity tracking though.

And it's mega-dumb that the Tic app replaces Fit in the new UI's fitness panel (swipe left from the clock) and can't be changed.
Click to expand...

lol to the linked thread, haha

I don't use it for legit workouts, but any time the choice is taken away I'm not a fan. But, I can't say I've swiped right in days/weeks/etc etc... So maybe I shouldn't care much.
 
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