Summary
- Code found in the Google app beta suggests Gemini is coming to Wear OS. Strings of code explicitly mention Gemini as a “wearable” assistant, hinting at a dedicated experience for smartwatches.
- The code includes phrases like “easily talk back and forth,” suggesting a more fluid and intuitive user experience compared to the current Google Assistant on Wear OS. This may include Gemini Live functionality.
- Gemini’s arrival on Wear OS could happen via an update to the existing Assistant app.
Google’s 2024 was all about advancing Gemini and pushing it to as many of its products and services as possible, and 2025 will likely build on that momentum. What started as Bard has now made its way to smartphones, tablets, several services like Gmail, Docs, Google Maps, and more.
The AI assistant expanded to iOS with a dedicated app, and even TVs are poised to enter their Gemini AI era later in 2025.
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For reference, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, Google announced that upcoming Google TV devices will allow you to converse with your TV’s virtual assistant without having to speak directly into its remote, complete with an upgraded, Gemini-powered voice assistant landing on Google TV.
Before that, however, we might see Gemini landing on Wear OS devices, and it could potentially happen alongside the March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop.
As highlighted by 9to5Google, Google App version 16.0.5 beta offers hints at upcoming Wear OS Gemini support in the form of code snippets.
<string name=”assistant_bisto_wearable_robin_brand_name”>Gemini</string>
<string name=”assistant_bisto_wearable_welcome_robin_description”>Easily talk back and forth to get more done with an assistant on your watch, reimagined with Google AI</string>
The strings clearly mention Gemini as a ‘wearable’ virtual assistant, alongside the line “Easily talk back and forth to get more done with an assistant on your watch, reimagined with Google AI,” which is a clear nod to Gemini. The “talk back and forth” part hints at a more natural and conversational manner of interaction, which suggests that Gemini Live, too, might make its way to Wear OS via the integration, even though there’s no explicit mention of it.
Better late than never
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Google brought Gemini to iPhone before its own smartwatches and speakers
Going where the audience is
The report suggests that Gemini might arrive on Wear OS through an update to the existing Assistant app. When that happens, though, is currently unclear. The process of bringing up the assistant will likely remain the same — by using the “Hey Google” wake word or by long pressing your wearable’s side button.
We recently spotted the “Hey Gemini” hotword in action in Android XR demo videos, offering an alternative to the long-standing “Hey Google” hotword, potentially on Wear OS too.
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