WhatsApp for smartwatch begins testing by sending text and voice

WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging applications in the world, has taken a new step by releasing the beta version for the Wear OS operating system used in smart watches. This new feature allows beta testers to send text and voice messages directly from Android users’ wrists.

The functionality has been included in version 2.23.10.10 of the WhatsApp beta app for Android. Additionally, this beta release has also revealed hints that users can edit soon-to-be sent messages. The Wear OS app supports a variety of smartwatches, including the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch 5.

How does WhatsApp work on the smartwatch?

Installing the Wear OS app involves entering an eight-digit code provided by the watch into the WhatsApp app on your phone. WhatsApp’s cross-device support ensures that messages accessed through your smartwatch are protected with end-to-end encryption.

Since Wear OS users could not send messages whenever they wanted, they could only reply to WhatsApp messages via the notifications received on their smart watches. With the new version of the application, users can view recent conversations, browse message history, and reply with text or voice.

The app offers different blocks, one for accessing contacts, another for voice messages, and a complication that shows the number of unread messages in the WhatsApp inbox. However, it is still not possible to start a new conversation in the Wear OS app if the user has never sent a message to a contact before.