Update (Aug 16, 8:30 pm ET): Added additional information on when Assistant support is ending for Wear OS 2.
What you need to know
- Some TicWatch users have spotted a warning on their watches regarding Google Assistant support.
- Support for Google Assistant on Wear OS 2 is apparently ending "soon."
- Fossil recently received support for Google Assistant, but the latest TicWatch Pro 5 still does not have it.
It looks like Google is putting yet another nail in the Wear OS 2 coffin as Wear OS 4 starts appearing on smartwatches. Users have spotted notices on their smartwatches that support for Google Assistant on Wear OS 2.x will apparently end "soon."
9to5Google recently spotted a string of code in the Wear OS companion app hinting at the announcement:
<string name=”assistant_shutdown_notification_title”>Google Assistant support ending</string>
However, it seems that the announcement is already appearing for some, particularly users of Mobvoi's TicWatch devices. A few members of the The Official Mobvoi TicWatch and earphones Group have posted images of the notice on their devices. The notice reads:
"Google Assistant support on this watch is ending soon. Please upgrade to a newer watch that supports Google Assistant and runs Wear OS 3 or later."
Mishaal Rahman has also spotted the notice on his TicWatch Pro 3, noting that Assistant appears to already be disabled on the device:
Google is announcing that Assistant will soon no longer support smartwatches running Wear OS 2. You'll need to upgrade to a newer watch that runs Wear OS 3 (and that supports Google Assistant).I just got this notification on my TicWatch Pro 3 - anyone else also get this? pic.twitter.com/NqwddYY2oaAugust 16, 2023
While an exact date wasn't given in the notice, a Google spokesperson told Android Central that Assistant support is ending on August 31, 2023, which is just a couple of weeks away. As far as extending support to other watches, Google had nothing to share, although it seems at this point that it's up to the OEM to get Assistant working.
While it makes sense for Google to start pulling resources from the older software, not that Wear OS 3 is the main focus and Wear OS 4 has already begun rolling out, it does leave owners of recent TicWatch smartwatches in a bit of a bind. Mobvoi has yet to release the stable Wear OS 3 build to its smartwatches, citing issues getting the software ready. The company is currently in the process of beta testing the update, but it's unclear when that will be finished and ready to ship.
Meanwhile, the new TicWatch Pro 5 already runs Wear OS 3 but still does not have Google Assistant support, even though Fossil smartwatches recently received an update bringing support for Assistant.
The newer Google Assistant launched on Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 and was also available on the Pixel Watch before coming to other watches. Compared to the version on Wear OS 2.x devices, it's much faster, more responsive, and more capable than before.
If you want the latest and greatest version of Wear OS on your wrist, look no further than the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Not only does it have great performance and features, but it comes with a rotating bezel that makes it very easy (and satisfying) to navigate the watch UI.
