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Google and Samsung’s combined efforts with Wear OS 3 have led to the platform’s resurgence. The launch of Wear OS 3-powered Android smartwatches like theGalaxy Watch 5andGoogle Pixel Watchfurther helped boost consumer adoption. And thanks to this, developers have also started taking Wear OS more seriously as a platform, with more apps now available for thebest Android smartwatchesthan before. Joining this list is Meta-owned WhatsApp, which has released its Wear OS 3 app to beta testers.
Back in 2014, WhatsApp rolled out Android Wear support for its app, though eventually, it was killed due to the lack of user adoption. With Wear OS 3, the company took a wait-and-watch approach instead of offering a native app straightaway.
That’s changing now, as WhatsApp’s native Wear OS app is available for beta testing. The app is a part of WhatsApp beta for Android v2.23.10.10. If you are running the latest build, head over to WhatsApp’s Play Store listing, and an option to install the companion Wear OS app should appear.
Until now, you could only see and respond to new WhatsApp messages from Wear OS' notification shade. There was no way to access your existing conversations due to the lack of a native app. This won’t be the case from now on, as the native WhatsApp app for Wear OS 3 provides access to all your present and past conversations, including group chats. You can reply to a message using voice or text input. The app will even show a small preview of any image shared in a conversation.
To set up WhatsApp on your Wear OS 3 watch, you must enter an eight-digit code displayed on your phone. After that, the Wear OS app will sync all your chats with your phone. While you can access your existing conversations, the app currently does not provide a way to search through them or initiate a new chat.
A couple of new tiles in the Wear OS 3 app will provide quick access to your favorite contacts and the ability to send voice notes to your most recent conversations.
Given that WhatsApp’s Wear OS 3 app is still in beta, Meta could address some of these limitations in a future build. In case you are not a part of WhatsApp’s beta program or are not seeing the Wear OS app on the Play Store, you can sideload it fromAPKMirror.
UPDATE: 2025-06-22 15:02 EST BY STEPHEN SCHENCK
ETA summer 2023
During theI/O 2023 keynotetoday, Google confirmed that WhatsApp will formally introduce its Wear OS app sometime this summer.
Thanks: Moshe!
