Wear OS 6 is revamping Always-On Displays and that is great!
I've always found the always-on display (AOD) on Wear OS smartwatches a bit of a tease. It's there, but it never really felt that useful, often sacrificing battery life for a limited glimpse of information. That might be about to change.
With Wear OS 6, Google is finally giving the AOD a much-needed upgrade. Instead of just showing a basic clock face, the redesigned AOD will offer more functionality, including key controls right on the screen. If you are like me, and you use your smartwatch constantly, you can relate to how happy I am about this improvement. It may seem like a minor tweak, but I believe it's a game-changer for how we interact with our wearables.
Google's developer documentation confirms that Wear OS 6 aims to provide a more consistent and useful AOD experience across all devices. What does that mean in practice? Imagine being able to control your music, pause a workout, or access your top activity without fully waking your watch. That's the promise of the new AOD.
For example, Google showed tappable media controls that are visible on the ambient screen, with a low-power outline design that fits the aesthetic. No more awkward wrist movements trying to skip a track, or balancing precariously on the treadmill. Think about how many times you glanced at your watch while cooking, only to be met with a static screen when you wanted to quickly pause your audiobook. Those little frustrations should be a thing of the past.
But it's not just about media controls. I'm personally excited about using the AOD as a more interactive interface. Google has confirmed that your top activity will remain visible and "in a resumed state" during ambient mode. This will make enabling always-on a much more worthwhile battery life trade-off in my opinion.
Sure, it's not the flashiest update, but it’s this kind of thoughtful polish that makes a real difference in daily use. These small, but meaningful UX improvements are really appreciated.
Source: AndroidAuthority