Wear OS 6 / Google
At this year’s Google I/O 2025 conference, the company opened Wear OS 6 preview for developers. It’s not just another update — it brings a new visual language, improved energy efficiency, and changes that make life easier for both users and developers.
Wear OS 6 is based on Android 16. The most important update is a complete redesign of the interface based on the philosophy of Material 3 Expressive. This update brings new animations, smoother transitions and scrolling, and a color theme change to match the selected watch face. The entire interface adapts to the style the user chooses on their watch.
Another noticeable update is the new tile layout: instead of the standard view, you can now use three more efficient slot tiles. In addition, the buttons are now larger and easier to press, and the interface elements are better adapted to round displays. The Always-On Display mode has also been improved, making the transition to it look smooth and organic.
Google has also worked on battery life. According to the company, upgrading from Wear OS 5 to Wear OS 6 will save up to 10% of battery power. In addition, the new version integrates improvements from Wear OS 5.1 — including support for Credential Manager and richer media controls.
Google has already opened the Wear OS 6 Developer Preview so that developers can test how their apps and tiles will look and work in the new system. To do this an emulator version is available Wear OS 6 in Android Studio.
Google also offers updated design guidelines, design kits for Figma, and new versions of the Wear Compose Material 3 and ProtoLayout Material 3 libraries. They help to integrate the new dynamic design system and automatically align the interface with the system font.
Wear OS 6 looks like a significant step forward for Google’s smartwatch ecosystem. A new visual language, better optimization for watch screens, improvements in battery life, and support for developer tools all hint that Google is serious about revitalizing its wearable platform. So, we’re in for an interesting update in the fall.
Source: androidauthority