Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- An APK teardown of Google Play Services revealed new details related to Wear OS smartwatches.
- The lines of code suggest Google may allow users to backup smartwatch data when switching to a new phone.
- Since users currently have to factory reset their Wear OS watches to pair with new devices, this would solve a lot of headaches.
Do you dread the idea of pairing your Wear OS smartwatch with new devices? Well, you may not have to feel that way much longer as Google could be working on a way to backup smartwatch data when switching to a new phone.
In a recent APK teardown, conducted by XDA Developers, of the Google Play Services v22.32.12 beta, new details related to Wear OS were discovered. In the code, it was found that a future update may include a feature that allows users to backup Wear OS data before pairing with a new device.
It’s important to note that APK teardowns focus on in-progress features. Google could decide at any time to cut the features out of its update. So while teardowns can forecast potential future features, there’s no guarantee that said features will actually roll out.
If Google allows users to backup their data, this would solve one of the biggest annoyances of Wear OS smartwatches. Currently, Wear OS watches require a factory reset if you want to pair them with a new phone. If your data is backed up, you could quickly restore your settings, making the whole process much more seamless.
With phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and Pixel 7 coming out soon, it’s likely there are going to be a lot of people looking to upgrade their phone in the near future. If this backup feature gets released, it could save all of those buyers a headache.
