- ‘OK Google’ detection is broken for at least some Wear OS smartwatch owners.
- Users have occasionally reported problems in recent months, too.
- It’s not certain when there will be a fix.
If you ask your Google-powered smartwatch for help and don’t get an answer, you’re not alone. Numerous users on Issue Tracker, Reddit, and elsewhere are reporting that “OK Google” hotword detection is broken for at least some Wear OS watch owners.
The full extent of the issue isn’t clear as of this writing, but users report “OK Google” problems across a range of watch models. Android Authority couldn’t get the voice assistant to recognize the phrase on a Fossil Gen 5 or the Oppo Watch, while others report broken functionality on wristwear like the TicWatch Pro 3.
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This appears to be a recurring issue, too. Reports of “OK Google” problems have been surfacing for months — it’s just a particularly acute glitch for watch owners at the moment.
We’ve asked Google for comment.
It’s safe to say affected users aren’t happy. “OK Google” is a key feature for many watch owners — it’s the key to checking the weather or sending a text when your hands are occupied. It also reinforces concerns that Google is letting Wear OS languish while Apple, Samsung and others pull ahead.
There is hope Google will pay more attention to its wearable software now that it owns Fitbit. At the moment, though, the hotword failures aren’t exactly mending Google’s reputation for neglecting Android on watches and other devices beyond phones.
