Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Google has mandated that all Wear OS apps have a 64-bit version starting September 15.
- The company says that developers can still offer 32-bit software alongside the 64-bit version.
- This comes months after Google announced similar plans for Google TV and Android TV.
It looks like 2026 is the year that Google’s other platforms will embrace the 64-bit era. Android TV and Google TV Starting in August, 64-bit versions of the software will be required, and the company has now announced similar plans Wear OS.
There is Google announced All new Wear OS apps and app updates posted to the Play Store must have a 64-bit version in addition to the existing 32-bit version starting September 15, 2026. The company says that Google Play will start blocking non-compliant apps after the deadline.
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“We are not changing our 32-bit support policy and will continue to deliver Google Play apps to existing 32-bit devices,” the company said in a blog post. This is good news, as many smartwatches come with a 32-bit version of Wear OS, preventing them from running 64-bit apps.
Google also notes that the “vast majority” of Wear OS developers have already deployed 64-bit versions of their apps. However, there are still dormant or abandoned apps that inevitably get caught up in the 64-bit transition, so fingers crossed that these developers provide a proper 64-bit update.
What does this mean for Wear OS?
History shows that the demand for 64-bit software versions alongside 32-bit versions will eventually lead to a 64-bit-only future. After all, Google mandated 64-bit software versions for Android in 2019, before Android 14 switched to a 64-bit-only architecture in 2024. So don’t be surprised if Wear OS eventually drops 32-bit support entirely in the coming years.
Either way, Google says the 64-bit architecture allows for performance improvements and potentially “faster and richer experiences” for users. It should also bring security improvements, as features like memory tagging extensions require a 64-bit platform. Moving to a 64-bit-only architecture is also a boon for chipmakers, as they can use silicon space dedicated to 32-bit operations. Finally, it should be noted that the 64-bit architecture allows smartwatches to access more than 4 GB of RAM. That much RAM seems like overkill for a clock, but it might come in handy after chips like this. Snapdragon Wear Elitewhich offers native AI smarts.
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