After being announced at Google I/O a few weeks ago, Google’s new Android Wear platform for smartwatches and other wearables is finally here. Now that consumers are getting Android Wear powered devices like the LG G Watch, you’re going to want to know how to navigate and use them.
Android Wear (previous value) designed simplicity and ease of use in mind and as a result everything is just a tap, swipe or long press away. You can access almost any option, application, game or setting using just your voice. Since Android Wear is still extremely new and early adopters are learning how to use it, we thought a few guides were appropriate.
Simple taps and swipes allow you to navigate the entire interface with ease, while the operating system on your smartwatch is heavily dependent on your voice. It’s simple, but we got a few questions about how to actually change the watch face. If you haven’t figured it out yet, here’s how to change watch faces on Samsung Gear Live or other Android Wear watches.
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. this weekand they come preloaded with several beautiful watch face options.
Of course, being powered by Android means developers can offer tons of watch faces in the coming weeks and months, and we can expect tons to come soon. In the meantime, try some of the pre-installed watch face options via the instructions below.
We actually found two ways to change the watch face in Android Wear. One is extremely easy and something most users only understand when using the device, while the other is somewhat hidden in the settings menu.
Instructions
Changing the watch face on Android Wear is actually extremely easy. To keep battery life as long as possible, a quick tap will light up and activate the screen, while the screen dims fairly quickly. Essentially turning on your watch. From here long press the screen and then you will get a card style layout where you can scroll through all the watch face options. It’s that easy. Find what you want and tap to activate it. This much!
Some may not be as pretty as others, but be sure to let the clock dim so you can see the secondary (low power dial) that will usually fill the screen when the device is not in use. Some faces aren’t my favourite, but the low power mode does have a nice look, so you’ll have to decide which is or looks best for you. Here’s a quick video showing users how to do it.
There is a second way to change the watch face and that is to use the power of Google Assistant voice controls. Simply say “OK, Google” to your watch and say “settings” when you see the visual prompt for voice actions. This will automatically take you to the settings menu. Scroll down to the bottom and near the bottom you will see the “Change watch face” option and just tap here to get to the same selection as before. It’s a bit redundant and the first way is the easiest. However, if you are already in the settings, you can navigate through them.
Again, Android Wear is extremely new and still in its infancy. That said, buyers can expect a wide array of watch faces and customization options to arrive in the very near future. We expect Google to continue with updates that improve the experience and for developers to add watch faces to the Play Store (both free and paid).
There are a few options available right now, but we expect a wide range of them to begin to emerge as Android Wear watches are now available to the public. Try some games while you’re here. Above is the link to the Flappy Birds clone, one of the first games for Android Wear. Enjoy!