The Wear OS 5.1 preview is now available — and it’s based on Android 15

What you should know

• The subsequent model of Put on OS, known as Put on OS 5.1, is now out there for testing as a developer preview.
• The Android 15-based software program replace might be manually examined inside the Android Studio emulator in a digital Put on OS machine.
• Though it is nonetheless early, new options embrace the power to play audio out of smartwatch audio system and entry the brand new Credential Supervisor API.

Google is giving us our first have a look at the following Put on OS replace, which is predicated on Android 15. The corporate released the primary developer preview of Put on OS 5.1 final week, and it is now out there for testing in an Android Studio digital machine. Though it is nonetheless early, Google already revealed two key Put on OS 5.1 options: watch speaker audio playback and a credential supervisor.

The construct quantity for the preliminary Put on OS 5.1 preview launch is AP4A.241205.004.F1, and there are a couple of recognized points. Google recommends builders begin testing their Put on OS apps with the newest model to regulate to conduct adjustments in Android 15. Notably, some Android 15 conduct adjustments will not be arriving on Put on OS 5.1, like Non-public Areas and predictive again animations. The recognized bugs are as follows:

• The emulator does not all the time enable the consumer so as to add an account throughout the setup circulation following a tool reset.
• When tapping on a notification, the app that despatched the notification does not open till the consumer scrolls the display.
• Put on Well being Companies typically fails to start out an train.

The replace at the moment consists of two “notable options,” as described by Google. The primary is watch speaker playback, which is able to enable customers to hearken to audio sources by way of a smartwatch’s inbuilt speaker. This could possibly be a handy solution to hearken to music or podcasts, albeit at low quantity and subpar high quality. To make use of your watch speaker as an audio output possibility, each the machine’s {hardware} and the desired app should assist it in Put on OS 5.1.

The opposite notable characteristic is assist for the Credential Supervisor API. That is already out there on Android, and it enables features like auto-sign-in after restoring from a backup. On Put on OS 5.1, the brand new credential supervisor will deal with passwords, passkeys, and Check in with Google. It’s going to additionally enable this info to be synced throughout Put on OS 5.1 and Android 15 gadgets.

Relying on the discharge date of Put on OS 5.1, this replace might sign the platform catching up with Android. Usually, Put on OS updates have been primarily based on previous Android variations. For instance, Wear OS 5 is predicated on Android 14. The naming of Put on OS 5.1 might point out that Google is attempting to sync up Put on OS and Android. Or, it might merely imply that this 12 months’s Put on OS replace is a minor one and never worthy of a full numbered model. In spite of everything, Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is right here, so it isn’t that shocking that we’re seeing a brand new model of Put on OS made out there for testing as properly.