Google starts rolling out Wear OS redesign today w/ revamped navigation, ‘proactive’ Assistant

Ben Schoon | Sep 28 2018 - 6:35 am PT

Google announced a huge redesign of Wear OS last month which delivered some major improvements to the platform. Today, that update is finally starting to roll out to all users…

Wear OS version 2.1 is currently being pushed out to all compatible smartwatches. As we previously noted, basically every smartwatch is getting this update as long as it was released after Android Wear 2.0’s announcement or if it was updated to Wear 2.0. Only a handful of watches won’t be getting this redesign, and that’s a good thing.

If you’ll recall, this big redesign to Wear OS makes key changes to how users navigate the OS. A swipe from the top accesses quick settings while a swipe from the bottom accesses notifications. A swipe to the left brings you to Google Fit with its latest revamp, and, finally, a swipe right brings up Google Assistant. On top of the typical voice assistant, you’ll also get “proactive” information akin to Google Now cards. We previously went hands-on with this redesign as well.

It’s unclear right now how quickly Google plans to roll out this latest update, but more than likely it’s going to take a fair bit. With past updates, the timing has varied based on region, OEM, and even model. If you want to check if an update is available, head to Settings > System > About > System Updates to see if it’s available on your device.

Busy day? Every minute matters. The new #WearOSbyGoogle design gives you a helping hand when you need it most, convenient access to your notifications, #GoogleFit, and more. Rolling out now: https://t.co/UldqISuWdH pic.twitter.com/dvGlhxQIQg

— Wear OS by Google (@WearOSbyGoogle) September 28, 2018