Wear OS’ new installation method causing some problems

Wear OS will still be around but there will be major changes. The legacy method in installing Wear OS apps has been discontinued. Not all Wear OS users have been affected though but those who have new smartwatches or smartphones or are updating the platform are experiencing them. Developers know this but not many people really know what to do, leaving many frustrated. This means you can no longer find apps on the on-watch Play Store. They don’t need to have app counterparts on a phone.

The idea is for the apps to be independent. This means wearables will stand on its own–no need for a compatible phone. It should be good but for most devices, the legal model remained as per our source.

The impact is that embedded apps are installable only in the “Apps on your phone” section of the on-device Play Store. You won’t see them when you search on Google Play. Most of these apps also said to add bloat to the APK on a phone.

Such legacy apps are no longer discoverable on the on-watch Play Store since March 10. New pairings can’t access them. Existing smartwatches still can access the section “Apps on your phone” should the user need to make changes.

The main problem is that some important apps cannot be installed after a reset or an update. Having a new phone or pairing does the same. Google’s solution to an app that can’t be installed was to simply contact the app developer. We’re not sure what other apps don’t work properly but we believe the legacy method is still being used by some.