Wear, formerly Android Wear, is Google's smartwatch platform that powers watches from dozens of manufacturers. Some smartwatch manufacturers include great functionality right out of the box with their default apps, but you can turn a budget-priced, bare-bones smartwatch into a powerhouse with the right smartwatch apps.
Finding the Best Smartwatch Apps for Android
Google's pared-down version of Google Play is available right on your wrist, which makes it easy to discover new smartwatch apps for your Wear device. In the Wear version of Google Play, you'll find a list of popular apps, a few handy categories, and even a list of apps on your phone that have smartwatch versions available.
Since it can be tough to sift through the thousands of smartwatch app options on such a tiny screen, we assembled the 15 best Wear apps to help increase your productivity, access important information, and stay entertained when you're away from your phone.
The apps in this list are available for free from Google Play. Some of them have a premium version that you can buy, and others have optional in-app purchases. Still, you can use the basic version of each app without paying anything.
01
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Find Parking: ParKing
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What We Like
Automatically determines where you park.
Works in underground and indoor parking structures.
What We Don't Like
The interface doesn't work right on some devices.
Automatic parking feature requires a Bluetooth device.
ParKing is a handy app that takes the hassle out of remembering where you parked your car. When you launch the app on your smartwatch, all you do is tap the little car icon to log where you parked. When it comes time to find your car, you'll be able to zoom in on a Google Maps view of its exact location.
02
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Take Notes: Google Keep
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What We Like
Create and access notes and reminders.
Syncs with your other devices.
Connect with Android and iOS devices.
What We Don't Like
Syncing issues with some phones and watches.
Can't open notes on your phone from the watch interface.
Google Keep, which shows up on your Wear smartwatch as Keep Notes, is a lightweight note-taking app that's available on a variety of devices and via a web interface.
The version of Google Keep for your smartwatch lets you access your notes on the go and jot down notes wherever you are. Notes created on your watch are synced to the cloud, so you can access them from your other devices later.
03
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Never Get Caught in the Rain: AccuWeather
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What We Like
Accurate forecasts suited to small displays.
Companion app provides detailed forecast information.
What We Don't Like
Scrolling is touchy.
Can't switch between multiple locations.
The AccuWeather app brings the same forecasts you can access on the web or your phone to your Wear smartwatch. You don't get the MinuteCast information, radar, or other bells and whistles because the information is pared down for the limited screen size on smartwatches. What you do get is a weather app that's easy to read at a glance.
04
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Listen to Podcasts: Wear Casts
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What We Like
Download podcasts to your smartwatch.
Automatically download new episodes.
Discover new podcasts.
What We Don't Like
Requires a phone to import podcasts.
Requires Android 7.0 or newer on your phone.
Wear Casts is a standalone Wear app, meaning it works independently from your phone (except for getting podcasts to the watch). You can use Wear Casts to download podcasts to your watch, pair Bluetooth earbuds, and listen to podcasts whenever you want, even if your phone isn't within Bluetooth range.
Since Wear Casts doesn't require a constant Bluetooth connection to your phone, it's easier on your batteries than other apps.
05
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Access Alexa: Listens for Alexa
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What We Like
Use your smartwatch to do almost anything Alexa can do.
Extends Alexa functionality to your entire home.
What We Don't Like
Not compatible with all skills.
Lacks some functionality of official Alexa devices.
Amazon has an official Alexa app for Android phones, but it isn't compatible with Wear. That's where the third-party app Listens for Alexa comes in. This app brings Alexa to your wrist, and it includes most of the functionality of an actual Alexa device.
You can even use this app to control any smart home devices that you usually control with your Amazon Echo.
06
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Make a Shopping List: Bring!
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What We Like
Generate shopping lists on your watch.
Store loyalty card details.
Share your shopping lists with family members.
What We Don't Like
Can't add items via a bar code reader.
Searchable items don't include specific brands.
Bring! is a shopping list app that lets you create, edit, and share lists right from your smartwatch. It includes a library of items with easy-to-understand icons, and you can add items to the list using your smartwatch's voice transcription functionality.
07
of 15
Find Public Transit: Citymapper
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What We Like
Offers trip timing for public transit, walking, and bicycling.
Supports mixed transportation routes.
Provides Uber time and cost.
What We Don't Like
Only works in certain cities.
Departure times aren't always accurate.
Citymapper is a must-have if you use public transit in one of the cities it covers or you're planning to visit a supported city. It brings a ton of information about bus, train, subway, ferry, and taxi data right to your wrist.
The downside is that it's only available in a limited number of cities, and it's useless if you don't live in any of them and don't plan on visiting.
08
of 15
Track Your Sleep: Sleep as Android
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What We Like
Lucid dreaming mode.
Integrates with the Sleep as Android phone app.
See AlsoThe Best Smartwatches for 2024The only option for real sleep tracking on Wear.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't work without the Sleep as Android app.
Setup can be confusing.
One major function that Wear smartwatches lack when compared to dedicated fitness devices like Fitbit is sleep tracking. There's also a lack of sleep tracking apps on Google Play that work with Wear but Sleep as Android fits the bill nicely.
Sleep as Android includes a ton of features, some of which aren't available from dedicated fitness devices. For example, the lucid dreaming mode can determine when you enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and it provides an auditory cue to help you realize you're asleep without fully waking up.
The only downside to Sleep as Android is that the smartwatch app doesn't work independently from your phone. So you have to make sure your phone is charged up, paired to your watch, and nearby when you go to sleep.
Use the Apps on Your Phone section in the Google Play store on your watch to download this.
09
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Authenticate Your Identity: Google Authenticator
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What We Like
It's your Google Authenticator, but on your watch.
Large numbers are easy to read.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't work without your phone.
Won't act as a backup for your phone's authenticator.
If you use the Google Authenticator app on your phone, this app is a great accessory to add to your arsenal. It provides easy access to your authenticators via a swiping motion, and the numbers are large enough that they're easy to read even on small smartwatch screens.
The only downside is that it relies on your phone to work, so it can't act as a backup for the authenticator on your phone.
10
of 15
Crunch Numbers: Calculator
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What We Like
Loads and works quickly.
Large numbers are easy to read.
What We Don't Like
No scientific calculator functions.
No graphing functions.
If you're a whiz at mental math, having a calculator on your wrist might not have that much appeal. For the rest of us, Google's basic calculator app is an awesome answer to the clunky calculator watches of the 1980s, and it takes the headache out of calculating tips.
11
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Get New Watch Faces: Mr. Time
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What We Like
Tons of free watch face designs.
New designs are added regularly.
Create your own watch faces.
What We Don't Like
Bluetooth errors can prevent you from downloading new watch faces.
Feels sluggish on some devices.
Many free and paid apps provide access to new watch faces, but Mr. Time is at the top of the heap. It includes free watch faces, premium watch faces you can buy, and you can design your own.
12
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Play Golf: Hole19
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What We Like
Access range information when you're golfing.
Decent coverage including small local courses.
You don't have to pull your phone out before every shot.
What We Don't Like
Doesn't work without a phone.
Analysis tools you can check out after your round.
Hole19 is a golf range finding and score tracking app that runs on your phone. Plus, it has an accessory smartwatch app that lets you access essential information from the convenience of your wrist.
If your local course is included in the more than 40,000 courses that Hole19 covers, you can use both the smartphone and smartwatch app for free. There is a paid version, but it primarily provides high-resolution graphics rather than unlocking additional course information.
13
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Tease Your Brain: Infinity Loop
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What We Like
Works well with the limited screen space.
Challenging but relaxing to play.
What We Don't Like
No cloud saves.
If you have to reinstall, you lose your progress.
Despite the minimal screen space available on Wear smartwatches, some decent games are available for the platform. Infinity Loop is especially well suited to play on small screens. This puzzle game uses the basic mechanic of tapping puzzle pieces to rotate them until they form a pattern.
It's easy to pick up, and it's basic compared to the great smartphone games out there, but it is a nice little time-waster that you can play without pulling out your phone.
14
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Stay Hydrated: Water Drink Reminder
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What We Like
Automatically generates reminders on your watch and phone.
Helpful if you have a habit of not drinking enough water.
What We Don't Like
Annoying alert sounds.
Syncing issues with some phones and watches.
There are many benefits associated with staying adequately hydrated. Still, most people have trouble remembering to take a few sips here and there throughout the day.
Water Drink Reminder is designed to remind you to drink at regular intervals so that you take in an optimal amount of water, based on your height and weight. It runs on both your phone and smartwatch, so there's less of a chance of missing a reminder.
15
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Find Your Way: Google Maps
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What We Like
Automatically reorients the map based on the direction you're facing.
Makes it easy to find local points of interest.
What We Don't Like
Pared down in comparison to the regular Google Maps app.
Limited options and functionality.
Google's map app is an easy sell on Wear. It's simplistic compared to the full smartphone app. However, it makes it easy to orient yourself and find local points of interest when you're walking around on foot. It also allows you to drop a pin at your destination and launch full navigation on your phone.
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