Google is phasing out the Wear OS Weather app, but for something better

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Google is phasing out the Wear OS Weather app, but Pixel Watch owners get the sleek new Pixel Weather experience.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 showing the Weather tile, with an hourly forecast for the evening.
(Image credit: Michael Hicks / Android Central)
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What you need to know

  • Google will stop offering its Weather app on smartwatches running Wear OS 6 and newer.
  • Pixel Watches on Wear OS 6 will get the new Pixel Weather app with Material 3 Expressive design.
  • Smartwatches on Wear OS 5 or earlier can continue using the existing Google Weather app.

Similar to how Google offers its first-party apps like Phone and Clock on all Android smartphones, the company also provides its own Weather app for all Wear OS smartwatches. This app has been a simple but reliable way for users to check the forecast directly on their wrist. However, Google has now confirmed that "changes" are coming and that the app is going away on Wear OS 6+.

Google has announced it will no longer offer its Weather app for smartwatches that are running Wear OS 6 or newer. Instead, the company is encouraging users to rely on the Weather app provided by their smartwatch maker or download third-party apps from the Play Store for Wear OS.

Google notes that this change only applies to smartwatches running Wear OS 6 or newer. For those on Wear OS 5 or earlier, nothing is changing, and users can continue to download and use the existing Weather app.

Ultra Info Board on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

(Image credit: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

If you have a Pixel Watch, Google says the Weather app will be replaced with the new Pixel Weather app. We first saw signs of this change last week, and Google has now confirmed it.

Google says all Pixel Watch models running Wear OS 6 or newer will automatically be upgraded to Pixel Weather. As seen before, the Pixel Weather app for Wear OS 6 brings the new Material 3 Expressive design with bolder UI elements for easier at-a-glance weather, plus updated tiles alongside watch faces.

It's also worth noting that if you upgrade your Samsung, OnePlus, or Mobvoi smartwatch to Wear OS 6 and had the Weather app installed before, you’ll still be able to continue using it after the update.

Of course, if you have a Wear OS smartwatch, you can still rely on Gemini or Google Assistant to ask for weather updates as well.

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Sanuj Bhatia
Sanuj Bhatia
Contributor

Sanuj is a tech writer who loves exploring smartphones, tablets, and wearables. He began his journey with a Nokia Lumia and later dived deep into Android and iPhone. He's been writing about tech since 2018, with bylines at Pocketnow, Android Police, Pocket-Lint, and MakeUseOf. When he's not testing gadgets, he's either sipping chai, watching football, or playing cricket.

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