Google Messages now let you send voice messages via your Wear OS smartwatch

Google is rolling out the latest update to its Messages Wear OS app, allowing users to record and listen to voice messages. That's one of those functionalities that should have been implemented a long time ago with other messaging services, given that most modern smartwatches running Wear OS have built-in loudspeakers and microphones. It's funny that you can take calls, but you can't send voice messages.

Well, that's changing as Google has introduced a cool new update to its app on the Wear OS platform. The app now features a UI redesign to match the Android 14 aesthetics. Once you tap on the message you want to reply to, you will be greeted with three icons - emoji, keyboard and a microphone in the middle. Tapping on the microphone will let you record a 59-second-long message and send it as a response.

Screenshots from the new UI

Up until now, you could only send pre-defined short responses or struggle with the on-screen keyboard on your watch.

Notably, WhatsApp has a similar functionality since it first introduced its Wear OS-based app, but Google implementing it for Messages could trigger a wave of other messaging services doing the same. It sounds like an obvious feature to have, but we are yet to see it implemented on more messaging apps.

Via