Google’s brand new Android-based operating system built for wearables and a technology called Android Wear is officially here. The first two smartwatches running Android Wear surfaced at Google I/O a few weeks ago and went on sale in early July.
With Android Wear now obsolete, where users enjoy their new smartwatches, we’re getting more and more questions about how to do simple tasks. Basically Android Wear is designed to be extremely easy to use, but below we’ll cover how to quickly change the screen brightness for those who want to turn it on or down.
Just like all Android smartphones and tablets, a quick swipe through the settings will give you all the options available. Android Wear is extremely simple and doesn’t have many options, but one you’ll probably want to control the minute you own is screen brightness. The tiny 1.63-inch screen on the Samsung Gear Live is bright and vibrant even at low settings, but you’ll want maximum brightness when you’re out and about.
The upcoming Moto 360 has the most excitement and anticipation from buyers, but that just isn’t available yet. However, Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch have started to be sent to consumers. last weekand they also come preloaded with several beautiful watch face options.
For those looking for more details on Android Wear as a whole, be sure to check out our Samsung Gear Live hands-on coverage for additional information. There’s even a Flappy Birds game clone for Android Wear, which is a plus or minus depending on how you look at the game on a small screen attached to your wrist.
If you’re enjoying your new Android Wear watch or are planning to buy one, below are a few simple steps and a video showing you how to change your watch’s screen brightness.
Instructions
As mentioned above, everything about Android Wear has been designed with simplicity in mind. Accessing and navigating the settings is as easy as a few taps, swipes, or using your voice with Google Voice actions. That’s what we’re going to do here, although there are two ways to access the settings menu.
Make sure the screen is on (tap the screen) and say “Ok Google, Settings” to go to the Settings menu. From here you will immediately notice a few options and you will go ahead and select “Adjust brightness”. From here you will have a very simple and intuitive display, where you just swipe your finger to change the screen brightness according to 5 setting options. We found three excellent on Gear Live, but every Android Wear watch will be a little different.
Alternatively, users can use a similar method but manually navigate to the settings menu, although using sound is the easiest. Tap the screen to make sure it’s on, then tap again to go to Google Search (or say OK, Google) and then swipe up from the bottom with the little arrow that appears. This will take you to Android Wear’s options and apps, with settings near the bottom. Tap on Settings and go to Adjust brightness as mentioned above.
Choose your preferred brightness level for any moment and swipe from left to right to go back or go back to the settings menu. That’s it, you’re done and changed the screen brightness. We found the screen to be a little dim outdoors when in standby mode, but full brightness works quite well when using the watch.
Frankly, Android Wear is brand new and still in its infancy as an operating system, and changes are inevitable in the near future. However, these steps should be the general way to control and manage brightness for the foreseeable future.