What you need to know
- Google has issued a new update for the Google Home app on Wear OS.
- The app simplifies navigation by removing the rooms view and showing devices.
- The app’s speed and performance have also been improved.
- Google Home is still in preview and limited to Wear OS 3 smartwatches.
Google is making some tweaks to the Google Home app on Wear OS, making it faster and easier to navigate.
The search giant announced the update on Friday, noting performance improvements and “simpler navigation.” As for the former, the app should feel much faster and less clunky than before, which I’ve already noticed in my short use. However, the “simpler navigation” is much more noticeable when opening the app.
Now, instead of opening the app to the room view, the app jumps straight into your devices. This already makes it much quicker to access and control your Google Home products from the watch, saving you a few seconds of a swipe and tap to reach the desired room and device.
According to Google, users with 10 devices or less “will see an easy to scroll list to make it faster to access and control your smart home devices.” Additionally, this change will allow users to control devices that are linked to their accounts but not assigned to a home or room. Devices will still be sectioned by their assigned rooms as you scroll through the app.
Change is somewhat reminiscent of the new Google Home redesign for Android phones that puts more focus on devices by making them front-and-center.
Google says this update should start rolling out to devices “over the next few days,” although so far, it’s appeared on our Galaxy Watch 5 and Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition.
The Google Home app was launched earlier this year following the arrival of the Pixel Watch. The app finally gives users an easy way to control their Nest smart home products from their wrists without reaching for their phones or having to shout at Google Assistant.
For now, the app is still limited to Wear OS 3 devices, and we don’t see that changing any time soon. It’s also still in preview, likely as Google continues to add new features and improve the experience. That said, you can download and install the app from the Play Store on your Wear OS 3 smartwatch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is truly an impressive smartwatch that tries (and mostly succeeds) to do it all. Tracking workouts and keeping on top of your health has never been easier. Plus, you get quick access to the apps that matter straight from your wrist.