WhatsApp is finally coming to your Galaxy Watch 5 and Pixel Watch

WhatsApp is finally coming to your Galaxy Watch 5 and Pixel Watch

(Image credit: Samsung)

WhatsApp has just launched a beta version of its messenger app for Wear OS 3 – meaning you can now read chats and send messages using your Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or Google Pixel Watch.

WearOS 3 is the latest version of the Android smartwatch operating system, and has been adopted by multiple devices, including Samsung’s most recent watches as well as Google’s own watch. One of the main purposes of the new OS is to encourage more third-party developers to create apps for the platform, with WhatsApp being the latest to bring its services to your wrist.

After joining the WhatsApp beta, installing the app, and pairing it with your phone you’ll be able to perform several WhatsApp functions from the screen on your wrist. 

The circular complication will initially show you a few recent conversations, as well as a general “Chats” option if you want to text someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Then, you can message people by either recording a voice message or relying on the system’s keyboard to type it out.

This is increased functionality over the relatively limited WhatsApp support for WearOS watches used to have. In the past, new message notifications would pop up on your watch, and you could send a reply to them (either via voice, pre-made responses or by typing them out on a small on-screen keyboard), but once the notification disappeared, there was no way to view or send a reply.

If you want to sign up for the WhatsApp smartwatch app beta you can do so from the official Play Store page (opens in new tab). Then if your watch is running the latest version of WaerOS you should be able to find and install the WhatsApp app in your watch’s Play Store – or if you can’t find it you should be able to install it via the Play Store on your smartphone (opens in new tab). Just remember that the app is in beta, so it might not function as smoothly as the full-release version on your phone.

WhatsApp calls still one-way on watches

You'll still need WhatsApp on your phone to start calls. (Image credit: Pexels/ Torsten Dettlaff)

This beta app follows the much more scaled-back WearOS support that WhatsApp introduced back in September 2022 when it added the ability for people to answer calls on their smartwatch.

The feature was also introduced via a beta version of the phone app and was unfortunately a one-way affair. You’d be able to answer calls from your smartwatch and talk with the person calling you, but you couldn’t initiate a WhatsApp call.

Interestingly, calls don’t feature in the beta version of the WhatsApp WearOS 3 app – so it looks like it’ll be a while longer before you’re calling people via WhatsApp with your Pixel Watch.

Are you not a fan of WhatsApp but like its encrypted messaging? Check out our picks for the other best encrypted messaging apps for Android