Does Wear OS support Google Voice?
Wear OS and Google Voice are two popular technology platforms from Google. Wear OS is Google’s smartwatch operating system that powers watches from companies like Fossil, Mobvoi, and Samsung. It features Google apps and services and pairs with Android phones. Google Voice is Google’s phone service that provides a virtual phone number, voicemail, call screening, and other features. While both are made by Google, it’s unclear if they can work together seamlessly.
In this article, we’ll provide background information on Wear OS and Google Voice. We’ll look at the capabilities of Wear OS, where Google Voice is supported, and whether Wear OS has full integration with Google Voice. We’ll cover potential workarounds and alternatives, as well as the future outlook for Google Voice on Wear OS devices. The goal is to clearly explain if and how these two Google platforms can work together.
What is Wear OS?
Wear OS is an operating system designed specifically for smartwatches and other wearable devices. It was originally launched in 2014 under the name Android Wear by Google as a version of its Android operating system optimized for smartwatches and other wrist-worn wearables.
Wear OS works seamlessly with both Android smartphones and iPhones to connect the smartwatch to the user’s phone. This allows Wear OS smartwatches to leverage a paired smartphone’s connectivity and sensors to provide notifications, app alerts, call and text functionality, and more.
Some of the key capabilities and features of Wear OS include:
- Displaying phone notifications on the wrist
- Fitness and health tracking using Google Fit
- Contactless payments with Google Pay
- Voice control and queries using Google Assistant
- Music playback control and storage
- Customizable watch faces and apps
- Weather updates, calendar alerts, timers and more
With its tightly integrated Google services and cross-platform compatibility, Wear OS aims to provide a smartwatch experience that seamlessly connects users to their digital lives right from their wrist.
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is a VoIP (Voice over IP) and virtual phone number service offered by Google. It provides users with a phone number that can be used for calling, text messaging, and voicemail. Some of the key features of Google Voice include:
Voicemail transcription – Voicemails are automatically transcribed and sent to the user’s email or mobile device as text.
Call forwarding – Incoming calls to the Google Voice number can be forwarded to multiple phones simultaneously or sequentially.
SMS messaging – The Google Voice number can be used to send and receive text messages.
Call screening – Users can screen calls by listening to the caller’s message and deciding whether to answer, send to voicemail, or block the call.
Conference calling – Multiple people can join a conference call initiated through Google Voice.
Call recording – Users can record inbound and outbound calls for reference or sharing.
Web interface – Google Voice can be accessed via web browser in addition to mobile apps.
The service essentially gives users advanced telephony features and a central phone number for calling, texting, and voicemail integrated with their Google account.
Wear OS Capabilities
Wear OS smartwatches are designed to be an extension of your Android phone, providing convenient access to notifications, apps, and more right from your wrist. Some of the key capabilities of Wear OS include:
Notifications – Get notifications from your phone to your watch, including texts, calls, emails, calendar events, social media updates and more. You can preview messages, manage notifications and take actions like replying to messages from your watch.
Apps – Access many popular Android apps optimized for your watch screen like Google Maps, Uber, Spotify, Trello, and more. There are also watch-specific apps like fitness, weather, news, and timer apps available.
Fitness Tracking – Track steps, distance, calories burned, heart rate and more using Google Fit. Many Wear OS watches also have built-in GPS so you can accurately track activities like running and cycling without bringing your phone.
Payments – Make payments right from your wrist using Google Pay. Just hold your watch near a payment terminal to pay quickly and securely.
Voice Input – Use Google Assistant on your watch to get quick answers, set reminders/timers/alarms, control smart home devices, navigate with Google Maps and more using just your voice. However, Wear OS does not support native calling capabilities.
With cellular connectivity on some Wear OS watches, many of these capabilities can be used without your phone nearby. Overall, Wear OS aims to deliver the key smartphone features you need most on your wrist.
Google Voice on Other Platforms
Google Voice is available on both iOS and Android mobile operating systems via dedicated apps. The Google Voice mobile apps allow users to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages, and access voicemail through their Google Voice number.
On iOS, the Google Voice app integrates with the native Phone and Messages apps to enable calling and texting through the Google Voice number. Users can choose to make all calls through Google Voice or selectively use it on a per-call basis. The app also supports push notifications for new voicemails and texts.
Similarly, on Android the Google Voice app integrates into the dialer and messaging apps. Users can set Google Voice as their default phone and messaging option or use it selectively. Notifications mirror the iOS experience. Overall, the mobile apps provide full functionality and convenient access to Google Voice on both major mobile platforms.
Does Wear OS Support Google Voice?
No, Wear OS does not natively support Google Voice. There is currently no official Google Voice application available for download on Wear OS smartwatches. This means you cannot directly make calls or send messages through Google Voice on a Wear OS device.
The lack of native Google Voice integration is a notable limitation for Wear OS users. While Wear OS supports making calls and sending messages through a connected Android phone, many users prefer to route calls and texts through Google Voice for its enhanced features and unified messaging.
Without an official Google Voice app, options for Wear OS users are limited. Some workarounds exist, such as using third party apps like Wear Messenger or Wear Text to send SMS messages through Google Voice. However, these provide only partial functionality compared to the full native experience available on Android and iOS.
In summary, Google has not yet provided Google Voice support on Wear OS devices. For users who rely on Google Voice for communication, the lack of an official app limits the platform’s capabilities and convenience as a smartwatch system.
Workarounds and Alternatives
While Wear OS does not natively support the Google Voice app, there are some workarounds users have found to still leverage Google Voice on a smartwatch:
One option is to forward calls from your Google Voice number to your mobile number that is connected to your watch. While you won’t be able to directly make calls from your watch with your Google Voice number, you will still receive notifications and can return calls using your regular mobile number through the watch. This allows you to receive Google Voice calls on your watch without full integration. See here for instructions on call forwarding with Google Voice.
Another workaround is to use the Google Voice mobile app on your paired smartphone to place calls. While you cannot initiate Google Voice calls directly from the watch, you can use your watch to place a call through your smartphone which will then use your Google Voice number. This allows you to leverage Google Voice for outbound calls from your watch.
Some users have also turned to alternative services like NumberShare from T-Mobile which provides integration between your mobile number and a second number for calling and texting on smartwatches. While not directly Google Voice, NumberShare provides similar capabilities in terms of managing a second number on your watch.
The Future of Google Voice on Wear OS
While Google Voice currently has limited capabilities on Wear OS devices, there is potential for tighter integration and a native app in the future. Many users have expressed demand for full Google Voice support on smartwatches, especially Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch owners.
Market trends show increasing adoption of smartwatches and demand for robust messaging, calling, and voice assistant features directly on the wrist. As Wear OS continues to evolve, Google may prioritize developing a native Google Voice experience to meet this user demand and remain competitive.
Some Reddit users speculate that deeper Google Voice integration may arrive alongside improvements to smartwatch cellular connectivity. Having a dedicated data plan through a carrier like T-Mobile could enable the full functionality of Google Voice without relying on a synced smartphone.
While the timeline remains unclear, fans of Google’s products and services expect the company to bring Google Voice to Wear OS in a more meaningful way. This would allow quick access to GV’s core features like voicemail, calling, texting directly from the wrist. As smartwatches gain capabilities, Google Voice seems like a natural fit for hands-free use cases.
Summary
To summarize, at this time Google Voice does not have native support for Wear OS smartwatches. While you can receive notifications from the Google Voice app on a Wear OS watch, you cannot directly make calls or interact with the Voice app through the watch interface. This is likely due to Google Voice still being in active development, while Wear OS has a relatively small market share compared to other smartwatch platforms.
However, with workarounds like third party apps or linking your Google Voice number to a mobile carrier, some basic Google Voice functionality is possible on Wear OS devices. As Wear OS matures and expands its userbase, we may see better Voice integration and even standalone apps developed. But for now, the ability to use Google Voice directly on a Wear OS watch is limited. The platform simply does not provide full support for Voice at this time.
In the future, we can expect deeper integration between Google’s services and their wearable platform. Voice control and communication is an obvious area of focus as the technology advances. While Wear OS may lag behind competitors for now, there are signs Google is investing more into its smartwatch OS again. Enhanced Google Voice support is likely on the roadmap, but widespread direct use probably remains a year or more away based on the current state of Wear OS.
Conclusion
To definitively answer the original question – at this time, Wear OS does not natively support Google Voice. Google has not yet released an official Google Voice app optimized for Wear OS smartwatches.
However, the core functionality and capabilities of Wear OS present opportunities for Google Voice integration in the future. With advancements in wearable technology and mobile apps, we may eventually see deeper implementation of Google Voice features on Wear OS devices.
For now, while limited workarounds exist, using Google Voice on a Wear OS smartwatch is not seamless. But Wear OS remains a versatile platform, and its support for notifications, quick replies, and voice commands allows some basic interaction with Google Voice.
As Google Voice and Wear OS continue to evolve, we may see more robust integration and capabilities emerge. The potential is there, but it requires further commitment and development from Google to bring Google Voice fully into the Wear OS ecosystem.
