Meta-owned company has taken the opportunity to expand instant messaging to smartwatches with Wear OS, with the expansion to various simultaneous devices that WhatsApp offers on its platform. Independent: You only need a smartwatch to send and/or receive WhatsApp. We’ve tested it and can confirm that it works as expected.

If you’re used to exercising and only go out with your watch, you may be a little ambivalent about any important messages you’ll receive during your workout. With a smartwatch compatible with mobile networks, especially when WhatsApp allows users to switch to standalone mode on the watch, this issue is resolved. still experimental, but there is a not-so-complicated way to try this on Wear OS. It represents a major advance in the versatility of these devices.

WhatsApp becomes time-independent

It is a great advantage to send the sounds and listen from the watch.

We just broke the news this week and I was able to install the multi-device WhatsApp beta on my Samsung Galaxy Watch4 without too much trouble. I also performed the activation process from the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which I used with the smartwatch: After both processes, WhatsApp was working perfectly regardless of the phone. since that moment No longer had to deal with notifications from Watch4It was enough for me to open the WhatsApp of the watch.

Though still being tested, I thought it was an important application: WhatsApp conveys the versatility of its new multi-device functionality to bring communication to a point. accessory is becoming increasingly phone-independent. The new app for Wear OS lets you chat from the watch whether the cell phone is nearby or not. And most of those related to messaging and voice memos.

A person does not need to receive notifications to send WhatsApp to him or speak to Google Assistant to ask him to send a message to the desired person: I open the application on the watch, I go to the relevant chat and write from there, just like you do on mobile devices. It’s true that the smartwatch display makes work difficult, but that doesn’t mean it’s impractical. Even the voice function is active: Don’t you feel like typing letters or dictating text to the assistant? I record a voice memo and that’s it.

WhatsApp on Wear OS lets you send text messages and voice notes to anyone you chat with

In my experience, these are the advantages of standalone WhatsApp over the watch:

• I don’t need to carry my cell phone nor get notifications to message anyone you have an open WhatsApp conversation.
• I can read the latest chat of all chats just by accessing their channel.
• WhatsApp for Wear OS lets you send messages and voice notes to any of the conversations. And I instantly see what day and time each communication was sent.
• Play the sounds I geteven if there is an option to speed up (thanks, WhatsApp).
• I can see the photos taken. They look but with the downside of the small screen.

For practical purposes, it’s like having a basic WhatsApp on a smartwatch that works independently of the phone app: I can use the messaging on the watch even when the phone is turned off. The experience has been very positive for me, also recommended: it is a great first step to give real independence to smartwatches; allows you to take advantage of the more expensive versions of these devices that offer mobile connectivity.

Settings on mobile device and paired device

While the advantages have allowed me to get much more out of my smartwatch now, I’ve also discovered a few disadvantages. These were the most frustrating:

• I can’t open new chats, just continue existing chats. The app on the watch gives access to all open conversations on the phone, but new ones cannot be created.
• Calls stay out. Being able to call directly from the watch is something I miss terribly: voice memos fall short.
• Battery consumption increases. The Clock app consumes more battery than notifications, so Wear OS battery life is shortened. WhatsApp was the most battery draining thing on me after the screen. In rough numbers, I’d say keep the app 10% to 15% reduces autonomyit always depends on the number of calls you make and how active they are.

Pairing and working with WhatsApp on a Wear OS watch

Wear OS is inherently not very efficient, any app active in the background tends to encourage consumption. And WhatsApp is a perfect example; though I have to leave some room for criticism: The Wear OS app is currently in beta. We’ll see what happens when it becomes available to everyone: a remarkable leap in the autonomous capabilities of smartwatches.

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