Google Play Store pops in a watch icon for apps that support Android Wear

22.10.2015
There’s now a quick way to find out if that app you’re checking out in the Play Store also offers an Android Wear version.

A small watch icon now appears just above the Read More section on the app’s detail page. We’re only seeing it in the mobile app, but perhaps this will extend to the web version of Google Play eventually.

Another oddity is that many Google apps like Maps, Play Music, Calendar, and others that work with Wear don’t have this icon. Same goes for a couple of third-party apps like AccuWeather, which offers a Wear version.

Potentially much of this will be ironed out as the feature gains more traction. This promotion was badly needed, because prior to this the only way to know if your newest app worked with your Android Wear watch was to look for it on the watch itself, or pore through the app's description and hope the developer included mention of it.

By comparison, Apple pushes apps that support the Apple Watch much harder.

For some, this approach may be too in-your-face, but it definitely is a good marketing strategy on Apple’s part to get you to think about everything an Apple Watch could do. 

Why this matters: Not only is Google’s new icon helpful, but it might give everyone who visits the Play Store a subtle reminder about Google’s wearable platform. This looks like a decent start, but certainly more could be done to get Android users thinking about making the leap over to Android Wear.

(www.greenbot.com)

Derek Walter