WhatsApp is now available on Wear OS smartwatches. The company has released an app for Wear OS-powered devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and the Pixel Watch. It lets you send text and voice messages without opening the smartphone app. The app is currently available in beta, with a stable version expected in the coming weeks.
The smartwatch version of WhatsApp offers a fairly simple interface. Up front, you have a list of recent chats. You can scroll down and load more if you want to open an old conversation.
There’s no search option here, nor can you start a new chat. A Settings button at the bottom lets you see your profile photo and phone number but you can’t change anything. The same page also contains a toggle for Security notifications as well as a logout button.
Upon opening a chat, you see the most recent message along with the time stamp. You can scroll up for older messages. Below the messages are two input buttons for the microphone and keyboard. When recording a voice message, you have the option to send or delete it.
If you’re typing your message, WhatsApp will provide some smart suggestions, including emojis. You can tap on any of them to instantly send your reply.
A “People in this conversation” button at the bottom of the conversation lets you see the other person’s profile photo and phone number. This page also shows their bio and has a “Mute chat” toggle and Encryption codes.
In group chats, you will see the total number of participants but not each contact. WhatsApp has added an “Open on phone” button on almost every page to let you quickly switch to your phone and resume from the same spot.
Download WhatsApp for your Wear OS smartwatch
To use WhatsApp on your Wear OS smartwatch, you need to install the latest beta version of the app on your smartphone. More precisely, you need beta version 2.23.10.10 or newer. You can sign up for the beta program here. If you don’t want to use the beta app, WhatsApp should release a stable version in the coming weeks.
Once you have installed WhatsApp on your smartwatch, you need to link it to the phone app. It involves entering an eight-digit code from your watch app on the phone. You can then proceed to use the watch app. You may need to permit it to access the microphone.
WhatsApp also offers a couple of tiles — WhatsApp contacts and WhatsApp voice message — that you can add to the right of your watch face. Stay tuned for the stable version of WhatsApp for Wear OS.