Google to kill Assistant on older Wear OS smartwatches (Support ends August 31)

Update, August 17, 2023 (12:14 PM ET): Google spokesperson Ivy Chen revealed to The Verge that the last day of Google Assistant support on Wear OS 2 will be on August 31, 2023.

Original article, August 16, 2023 (2:12 AM ET): There are still loads of smartwatches on the market running Wear OS 2 or earlier, even though Google has since launched Wear OS 3 and 4. However, it sounds like the Mountain View giant will soon kill Google Assistant on these older watches.

9to5Google found a text string in the Wear OS companion app APK suggesting that Google will ditch Assistant on Wear OS 2 and earlier.

“Google Assistant support on this watch is ending soon. Please upgrade to a newer watch that supports Google Assistant and runs Wear OS 3 or later,” reads the relevant excerpt, according to the outlet.

There doesn’t seem to be a timeline for Google Assistant to be killed off on Wear OS 2 watches and earlier. But we’re guessing an announcement will be made before the end of the year.

Nevertheless, this is a disappointing turn of events. Some Wear OS 2 smartwatches only launched in 2020 and 2021, meaning that they’re just two or three years old. So we can see why owners of Wear OS 2 watches in particular might feel aggrieved.

This move is particularly disappointing due to voice input being key on smartwatches in the first place owing to their small screens, making typing a laborious affair.