- Wear OS users are getting an upgrade to earthquake alerts
- As of Google Play Services v26.07 update, earthquake alerts are fed to your watch even without a phone nearby
- Presumably, this requires cellular connectivity to use – Bluetooth-only models are unlikely to get them without a connected device
Users of the best Android watches — which run on Wear OS — are getting a life-saving new upgrade with the latest Google Play update (Google Play services v26.07, if you're curious).
According to 9to5Google, which has the changelog, Wear OS devices are getting improvements to Android's earthquake alerts feature. Earthquake alerts are fed to either your phone or a connected smartwatch, warning you of an imminent quake and giving some brief advice on bracing and getting to cover under a table or similar structure, to protect yourself from falling objects.
The changelog reads "[Wear] With this feature, you can now get earthquake alerts on your Wear devices even [when] it’s unpaired from the phone".
This is a potentially life-saving new addition, as if you're ever away from your phone (for example, on a run, or having left your phone in your locker in a gym) the earthquake alerts will still come through, providing a crucial early warning. After all, if you're on a treadmill, you'll want to stop the thing and get to cover!
While the update doesn't specify, we assume there's a catch: the update is likely to apply only to watches with cellular connectivity, not Bluetooth-only watches, unless it comes through via satellite to modern Google Pixel Watch 4s with this feature. We'll know more for sure as the update rolls out.
Aside from the earthquake alert change, this update is very minimal. The only other change, according to 9to5Google, is for phones — a quality-of-life autofill change to improve password syncing.
Wear OS users don't often get the kind of updates the best Garmin watches get, which usually add new features, workout profiles and the like on a regular basis, like the most recent Garmin Fenix 8 update.
