Android Wear Now Compatible With iPhone, iOS App Launches Today - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Android Wear Now Compatible With iPhone, iOS App Launches Today

by

Google announced today that Android Wear is now compatible with the iPhone 5 or later running at least iOS 8.2. An official Android Wear for iOS [Direct Link] companion app is rolling out on the App Store today worldwide.

AndroidWearforiOS
Android Wear for iPhone has several features familiar to Android users, including third-party watch faces, fitness tracking, notifications, Google Now and voice searches. Android Wear for iPhone will also have Google apps such as Weather and Translate preinstalled, but third-party iOS apps are not supported due to Apple's restrictions.

Google has attempted to work around Apple's limitations, but Android Wear for iPhone still has some locked-down functionality compared to what is possible with a paired Android smartphone. Rich notifications, for example, are only supported for a handful of stock Google apps, while the selection of watch faces is limited due to the lack of third-party app support.

Android-wear-iOS-app
Android Wear for iOS is compatible with the new LG Watch Urbane, upcoming Huawei Watch and Asus ZenWatch 2 and all future Android Wear smartwatches out of the box. Android Wear for iOS does not officially support existing Android Wear smartwatches such as the Moto 360 or Samsung Gear, but most users find that older models do work after a factory reset.


The Verge has published an extensive hands-on of Android Wear for iPhone alongside the announcement.

Tags: Android Wear, Google
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

google gemini

Apple Can Create Smaller On-Device AI Models From Google's Gemini

Wednesday March 25, 2026 9:53 am PDT by
Apple has full access to Gemini to customize the model for Siri and other AI features, reports The Information. Google gave Apple "complete access" to the Gemini model in its own data centers, and Apple can use the access for distillation, or creating smaller models for specific tasks. Apple is able to design models that are built to run on Apple devices without the need to connect to the...
Read Full Article • 85 comments
Chrome Feature 22

Google Claims Android Is Now Faster Than iPhone for Web Browsing

Wednesday March 25, 2026 10:00 am PDT by
Google today said that Android has set a new record for mobile web performance, making it the fastest mobile platform for web browsing. The newest Android devices have set new records on web performance benchmarks like Speedometer and LoadLine, which Google attributes to "deep vertical integration across hardware, the Android OS, and the Chrome engine." Speedometer simulates real-world...
Read Full Article • 150 comments
google gemini

Google Launches Gemini Import Tool for Switching From ChatGPT, Claude, and Other AI Apps

Thursday March 26, 2026 3:58 pm PDT by
Google is adding a new memory import feature to Gemini, making it easier for customers to switch to Gemini AI from another AI service. Users can import memories, context, and chat history from other AI apps. Importing memory will provide Gemini with an understanding of a user's preferences, relationships, and personal context. Google says that Gemini will understand the same key facts that...
Read Full Article • 21 comments

Top Rated Comments

B
bgraham
139 months ago
Android is googles trojan horse to get data from you to provide ads for stuff you like. Nothing more. No offence but anyone dumb enough


I wouldn't buy any android device at all. Android is Googles trojan horse to get all the info it can from you and shove ads in your face and make a bleep load of money from your info.
And iOS is Apple's trojan horse of locking you in their ecosystem so you have to pay hundreds of dollars more on hardware than you otherwise would do.

It works both ways.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
D
DaveWil
139 months ago
About time. I love my Apple Watch, but google should have been on iOS a long time ago.

It is nice for people to have options.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
P
pcmacgamer
139 months ago
Apple should never allow any android POS watch be available to talk to any iOS device.
How many "pos android watches" have you tried on the iPhone? How about reserve judgment until a review actually comes out/you try it yourself. Don't let blind allegiance to a brand get in the way of trying other options.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
sw1tcher
139 months ago
Apple should never allow any android POS watch be available to talk to any iOS device.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
horsebattery
139 months ago
At least I don't get any crap in my inbox from Apple and I know apple cares about my privacy. When I was with gmail, I must've got at least 50 spam messages a day with Gmail. with my icloud email address, I maybe get 10 a week.
Since you've thrown logic out the window dozens of posts ago anyway - by your post then that must mean Gmail has a much better spam filter! Full hyperbole ahead!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
stvon90
139 months ago
Right because a big black bar at the bottom of a circular screen is a proper smart watch. :rolleyes:


black bars? not exactly. We need to introduce you to something called freedom of choice. If you don't like something you can buy something else. So stop complaining cause choice is better for everyone. Not everyone wants to buy a square watch. I personally don't like the apple watch looks and especially the cost. If I can get something that costs less and looks better then everybody wins.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments