Developers looking to improve their Android Wear 2.0 apps should look no further than official Android Developers Blog where Google has just posted a comprehensive guide on app design and best ways of improving user experience. One of the main points of their guide is simplifying the navigation to the user, whether it’s switching apps or logging out, by using a single-page navigation drawer with clear iconography (since there’s no text present) so the users can get all the information they need at just a glance. The apps should use new UI functions present in Wear 2.0 like peeking at the actions at the bottom of the view and expandable notifications with clearer font that don’t require horizontal sweeping motion.
Android Wear 2.0 was launched back in february for the new generation of smartwatches made by LG in collaboration with Google. The company calls this version the biggest update since the the launch of the original Wear in 2014, improving the user interaction with their smartwatches, processing and presenting more informations and all that without needing to look at the phone. Users can now customize the smartphones’ always-on watch faces, setting up quick launch of their favorite applications or displaying stats from the fitness apps. Similar to traditional watches, devices designed to run Android Wear 2.0 have physical buttons or dials, all of which developers can utilize in their apps, improving the user interaction. Unquestionably the biggest improvement is that Android Wear apps can be downloaded directly to the watch via built-in Google Play Store, the watches can be paired with iOS devices and can connect to internet without having to rely on user’s phone connection.
Numerous changes both in UI and functionality of the devices mean that the developers will have their hands full when upgrading their apps to look and feel according to Google’s standards for Android Wear 2.0. There are many intricacies of the most recent update which, if not followed properly, might cause the app to be rejected by Google, especially if it’s a conversion from the phone version. If you happen to be a developer working on your smartwatch apps to use all of the features of the new OS, make sure to check out Google’s detailed guide in full by following the source link below.