Tool Reviews

Now users of wearable devices on Wear OS have to put up with an unpleasant feature. When switching from one smartphone to another, it is impossible to transfer data from the watch: you need to do a hard reset and then set up the accessory as new. Looks like Google finally decided to fix the situation.

In the beta version of Google Play Services 22.32.12, we found lines of code hinting at the Wear OS data backup feature. The XDA Developers who discovered this code assume that the innovation will be optional: if you want to start from scratch, you will not be forced to backup. In addition, in the code, the function is called “Backup with Google One”, which hints at the requirement of a paid subscription in order to use it.

Note that although Wear OS itself did not have such a feature, the companion apps of most popular watches have long offered similar capabilities. For example, Galaxy Watch 4 can be easily linked to a new smartphone while retaining old data.

The release date of the function has not yet been announced: XDA Developers emphasize that development is still at an early stage and even a preview of the interface cannot be obtained.