Wear OS update makes pairing your Android smartwatch and headphone easier
Wear OS picks up Fast Pair support as part of a new Google Play services update.
What you need to know
- Google has quietly brought Fast Pair support to Wear OS.
- You can now pair your smartwatch with your wireless headphones, thanks to the latest update.
- The feature arrives as part of this month's Google System updates.
Google promised at CES 2022 that Fast Pair support would be added to Chromebooks, Android TVs, and smart home devices. While smartwatches were not originally on the list, Google has now added the feature to Wear OS.
The tech behemoth has quietly announced the latest change via a tiny changelog in its Google System updates for June (via 9to5Google). According to the changelog, Fast Pair on Wear OS enables "previously paired headphones to be discovered and connected to wearables."
Fast Pair has landed on Wear OS devices through the Google Play services v22.24 update, which started rolling out on June 24.
Once the feature arrives on your smartwatch, you'll be able to pair your headphones to your wearable without breaking a sweat. It isn't clear whether Fast Pair is available on all Wear OS models or just some of the best Android smartwatches running Wear OS 3.
Fast Pair compatibility is also mentioned on the Pixel Watch's product page, where it is described as a simple way to "connect your earbuds, watch, and phone with each other."
It makes perfect sense for Google to roll out the feature on Wear OS, especially as the Pixel Watch launch inches closer. After all, Google's first smartwatch is set to arrive in the fall, so a handy feature should be ready before then.
Google also recently announced that Fast Pair would be available on Chromebooks this summer. Of course, it will function similarly to how it does between your headphones and mobile devices.
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Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.