Android Wear top features and tips

Google held its I/O developer conference last week, announcing a range of new products and systems during it – one of which was the official announcement of Android Wear along with three smartwatches that will come with it.

Samsung, LG and Motorola are all walking down the Android Wear path, with Samsung and LG launching their products next week so here are some top tips of the software that is basically Google Now for your wrist.

Interface

The interface of Android Wear is designed to be glanceable and is built around micro-interactions.

There are a variety of watchfaces available so you can pick one that suits your tastes and from here you will be able to access the Context Stream by swiping upwards, which is where notifications from Google and third-party apps will be displayed.

Notifications will sync with your Android companion device and you can respond to them or engage with cards using the actions feature.

You can also perform a manner of tasks such as send a text or set an alarm by saying “OK Google” from the watchface.

Apps

While the Android Wear apps are limited at present, you can expect this to change in the future as more and more developers get on board.

At the moment, Google has released a number of its own Android Wear apps which include Google Now, Google Hangouts, Gmail, Google Keep, Google Maps and Google Calendar so all of these will be available on the smartwatches.

Additionally, PayPal, Soundwave, Pinterest, Allthecooks, Eat24 and Lyft were also announced during the conference so you can expect to do quite a bit already.

Features

Google wants you to use your voice with Google Now and therefore once you say those two magic words, you will be able to complete near enough any task.

Use your watch to set reminders, take notes, set alarms and check your schedule, as well as reply to text messages, emails and see incoming calls.

You’ll also be able to check your flight or hotel reservations, hear navigation instructions and ask it questions, to which you will get quick responses in the form of informational cards.

Navigation

When it comes to getting yourself around Android Wear, the first thing to remember is swiping left will get you back and swiping right will get you forward.

A long press of the display will help you get out of an app after you confirm you want to and you can dismiss content by swiping it away, tapping the left of the screen and pulling it to the right.

If you want to expand cards then all you have to do is tap on it, and if you want to expand a stack of notifications the same tapping rule applies, allowing you to go through the notifications separately.

Extras

Android Wear also offers the ability to check the battery percentage of your device and the date by swiping down, but this will also mute your watch so you’ll need to swipe down again to unmute it.

Placing your palm over your screen until it vibrates will dim it and if you need it brighter you need to say “OK Google” followed by “Settings”.

These are just a snippet of the kind of features available on Android Wear so if you are considering a smartwatch that runs on this OS, the best thing you can do is learn the two magic words and get exploring.

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Android Wear top features and tips