Unanticipated Arrival: Google Assistant Integrates with Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung has officially integrated the Google Assistant into the Galaxy Watch 4. Users should receive an update to their Wear OS software, enabling the Assistant on their Samsung smartwatch as of today. This update also applies to the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Samsung's blog post announced this update, stating that the latest OS provides access to Google Play, allowing users to utilize popular apps from the Google ecosystem. The post mentions Google Maps, Google Pay, and YouTube Music, though these apps were already available. YouTube Music recently received an update to improve its functionality on Wear OS devices.
I haven't had the chance to experiment with Google Assistant on Samsung's Wear OS yet, but its hands-free capabilities sound promising. According to Google's support page, you can summon the Assistant to control smart home devices, get information about your day, or start tracking a run in apps like Google Fit. Users can even set their preferred app for tracking hikes, given Samsung Health's rising popularity.
The smart home controls are particularly exciting, as until now, users relied solely on Samsung's SmartThings (or other third-party apps) to control lights with the Watch 4.
Google Assistant will also simplify hands-free communications. While this was technically possible with earlier versions of Wear OS, the process was tedious. Users had to navigate the screen to bring up the keyboard and then tap the microphone button to start transcribing. With the new update, you can send messages through Google Messages without having to tap first—just like on any other Google device.
Bixby will continue to coexist with the Google Assistant on Samsung smartwatches. If you're deeply invested in the Samsung ecosystem, you might prefer Bixby over Google, especially if you've integrated your smart home with Samsung's SmartThings or use a Galaxy phone.
The update arriving earlier than expected, following last week's Google developer conference, may surprise some. Samsung had previously indicated that the Google Assistant would be launched around summer, though this was just an update to the initial announcement that it was coming.
At the very least, this latest Wear OS update adds a long-awaited feature for all Galaxy Watch 4 users. Despite Android's fragmented landscape, the inclusion of the Google Assistant on Samsung's watches helps to close that gap a little further.
The integration of Google Assistant into the Galaxy Watch 4's future updates promises more seamless smart home controls, as users will no longer need to rely solely on Samsung's SmartThings or third-party apps. With the new hands-free capabilities of Google Assistant, sending messages through Google Messages will be as simple as on any other Google device, eliminating the need for tedious navigations.
