Google Wear OS 7: Compatible watches and new features explained
Everything you need to know about the software update
Following its initial preview at Google I/O 2026, Wear OS 7 is officially available on a growing number of Android smartwatches.
Much of the talk for this latest update centers on turning compatible watches from simple notifiers into proactive assistants.
Yet, while the update leans heavily into contextual AI—underpinned by Google Gemini—it also brings some long-overdue (and remarkably basic) interface changes to the wrist.
If you're looking for a comprehensive breakdown of what's changing, you're in the right place.
This is your cheat sheet for all things Wear OS 7: we explain the latest status of the update's rollout across devices from Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Oppo, as well as the key upgrades you can expect.
Wear OS 7 update tracker
Google officially began the consumer rollout of Wear OS 7 in June, with the update first landing on the Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Watch 2.
Since then, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 arrived in July, running the latest Wear OS version via the brand's own One UI 9 Watch skin.
By deploying the software in June alongside Android 17, Google broke its long-standing tradition of aligning the (non-Samsung) rollout with its own autumn hardware refresh.
However, with the summer announcement of the Pixel Watch 5, we now know why—and it will also be available on the latest model when it becomes available on August 20th.
However, with major third-party partners like Oppo and Xiaomi still finalizing their respective Wear OS 6 rollouts, we expect the transition for non-Google hardware to stretch well into next year. With OnePlus exiting the US and Europe in July, the timeline for its support is also up in the air.
We'll actively update the device list below as official OEM roadmaps are confirmed.
Which smartwatches can access Wear OS 7 now?
- Google Pixel Watch 5 (Bluetooth-Wi-Fi & LTE editions)
- Google Pixel Watch 4 (Bluetooth-Wi-Fi & LTE editions)
- Google Pixel Watch 3 (Bluetooth-Wi-Fi & LTE editions)
- Google Pixel Watch 2 (Bluetooth-Wi-Fi & LTE editions)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 9
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Seven key upgrades available in Wear OS 7
Google is phasing out the classic linear Tile system in favor of a flexible, grid-based configuration called Wear Widgets. Supporting a mix of 2×1 and 2×2 dimensions, these new layouts enable vastly superior on-screen data density.
Google has also confirmed that an upcoming winter update will integrate Gemini directly into this layer, enabling users to build custom widgets via voice commands.
2. Live Updates on your wrist
Borrowed from the latest lock-screen features on Android phones, Live Updates bring persistent, real-time tracking timelines to your wrist. This allows users to monitor the real-time progress of food deliveries, rideshare arrivals, or live sports scores without opening a dedicated app.
It delivers a cleaner, glanceable status check right when you need it—just like Apple's Live Activities, which appear in the watchOS Smart Stack.
Wear OS 7 integrates the latest version of Google's agentic AI directly to the wrist to automate common, multistep tasks via voice. Users will be able to trigger complex phone actions—like reordering a frequent takeaway meal or cross-referencing an email to compile a shopping list—through their smartwatch.
To address inconsistent metrics across various fitness platforms, Google is introducing a standardized Workout Track experience. Third-party apps can adopt this unified framework, ensuring that core UI layouts, media controls, and heart-rate tracking behave consistently across apps. This should give the entire ecosystem an always-welcome injection of consistency.
5. Optimized battery life
Under-the-hood system optimizations ensure that the extra processing power required for AI features won't drain your daily stamina. Google promises that the average user can expect up to a 10% improvement in battery life when jumping from Wear OS 6.
Wear OS 7 finally gives users more granular control over when media controls take over the smartwatch screen. So, instead of forcing the media player UI open for every sound on your phone, you can toggle auto-launch settings on a per-app basis.
For example, you can choose to auto-launch the UI for Spotify playback while blocking it for casual video scrolling. A very minor change, obviously, but one that has taken a surprisingly long time to add.
On a similar note, audio routing is also simplified thanks to a new tool: System Media Controls. When streaming media from a paired handset, you can now change the audio output destination right from your wrist. This allows you to more easily shift audio between Bluetooth headphones, your smartwatch speaker, or a smart home setup.
