Wear OS 6 Is Launched For Devs, Here's What's New in Google's Smartwatch OS

Google officially launched the developer preview for Wear OS 6 on May 14, 2025, during its annual I/O event. It comes nearly a year after Wear OS 5 rolled out, marking the next major iteration of the company’s smartwatch operating system.

All Wear OS 6 Features

While the preview is currently limited to developers using the Wear OS Emulator, the changes are already shaping how smartwatches on Android will look and feel over the coming year. Here’s a quick look at all the new features coming to Google’s smartwatch OS.

Also read: Google I/O 2025: Top 10 Highlights of Google’s New Announcements

Material 3 Expressive on Wear OS

The biggest change is the adoption of Material You’s latest design system — Material 3 Expressive — built specifically for smaller screens. Google says it improves clarity and color contrast on wearables, especially in dynamic lighting. With bolder typography, better spacing, and new component styling, the UI on smartwatches will feel more modern and easier to read at a glance.

New Updates to Tiles in WatchOS

Wear OS 6 also brings changes to Tiles, the quick-glance cards that users swipe between for information like weather or fitness stats. Developers can now test their custom tiles directly on emulators, complete with preview animations. It also includes support for Android 14’s XML tile format, which brings a smoother experience across multiple screen types.

Introducing Edge Hugging Button

A new UI feature called the Edge-Hugging Button tweaks the position of floating action buttons (FABs). Instead of sitting dead-center, buttons now sit flush against the screen edge, allowing more room for text and other interactive elements.

A smoother – Fluid Navigation

Fluid Navigation also makes its debut in Wear OS 6. Swiping, tapping, and moving between screens now feel smoother, thanks to redesigned gesture controls that reduce visual stutter and response lag. These improvements are designed to reduce finger travel and improve one-handed use on smaller displays.

Intuitive New Progress Indicator

Another addition is the Progress Indicator component. This allows developers to show the status of longer tasks, like syncing or downloading, with a circular visual that works natively across the system. It’s a small change but one that could improve usability in apps with time-consuming background tasks.

New Watch Faces for Wear OS 6

Google has also updated the Watch Face Format, letting developers use the Watch Face Studio tool more effectively. It adds support for goal-based complications and introduces smoother animation handling. This keeps things visually appealing while improving battery efficiency.

Credential Manager for Wear OS 5.1 and above

Lastly, Google is bringing Credential Manager support to Wear OS. This lets apps securely handle passkeys and sign-ins in a simpler, consistent way across phones and smartwatches. It’s meant to reduce login friction and unify the authentication process.

Right now, the preview is limited to emulator testing, but Google says more updates will land over the coming months. Wear OS 6 is expected to reach actual devices later this year, starting with Pixel Watch models before making its way to other OEMs. For now, developers can start testing apps and layouts against the updated SDK and begin adapting their apps to match Google’s new design standards.