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Google launches its first new app on Wear OS in years, and it's...Gboard?
- Google just launched a Wear OS version of Gboard. This is its first app launch on the platform in years.
- Gboard brings some new functionality to the wearable operating system that the previous Google Keyboard lacked.
- We expect more Wear OS announcements at Google I/O 2021, which might hopefully mean more apps.
Google’s Wear OS platform has become a punchline to quite a few jokes over the years. Unfortunately, the company’s seeming lack of interest in the operating system hasn’t helped matters.
However, maybe 2021 is going to be the year Google gets its act together when it comes to its smartwatch software. Case in point: today, Google is launching a Wear OS version of Gboard, it popular keyboard app that appears on smartphones.
Unbelievably, this is the first new app launch for Wear OS from Google in years.
Message the way you want to with the new Gboard ⌨️ on #WearOSbyGoogle.
Multiple ways to message like voice, QWERTY keyboard or gestures ✔️
Enhanced suggestions and corrections ✔️
Multi-language support ✔️See what’s new: https://t.co/RjjtZO23Tv pic.twitter.com/dggR6HxsFc— Wear OS by Google (@WearOSbyGoogle) May 6, 2021
Prior to this Wear OS Gboard rollout, smartwatch users needed to rely on “Google Keyboard,” a generic system with limited functionality. As the tweet above describes, the Gboard app brings a few new features, such as quick access to different input types (including voice), better suggestions, better autocorrect, and multi-language support.
Google says this rollout is happening “in the coming days,” so stay tuned if you own a Wear OS-powered watch.
Google hints that there will be more Wear OS news rolling out over the year. We fully expect to see at least some wearable news from the 2021 iteration of Google I/O, which is only two weeks away.