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# Google has ruined WearOS
- URL: https://theblackmoor.net/google-has-ruined-wearos/
- Published: 2026-01-13T15:13:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-17T15:19:28.000Z
- Description: WearOS was great, until Google decided to ruin it.
- Author: Khaytsus
- Tags: IT

A while back, Google decided that, for the betterment of the Wear OS community, they would use the Watch Face Format, a descriptive language definition of a watch face that was only capable of the things that the Watch Face Format supports. Initially, they said that watches which shipped with Wear OS 5 or greater would require Watch Face Format; not great, but a problem for the future, and perhaps more time for Watch Face Format to maybe get updated to something more useful than the features a $50 feature watch (vs smartwatch) would support.

Then, apparently, Google changed its mind. **Starting in January 2026, the Watch Face Format will be required for watch faces to be installed on all Wear OS devices.**

This means that Watchmaker can no longer send its own watch faces to Wear OS devices, thus completely breaking all functionality within the watch face. Not only are a bunch of UI and graphical options gone, but Tasker integration and LUA scripting are impossible. If you want to see what the watch face above is **supposed** to look like, look at my [previous post about watches](https://theblackmoor.net/does-anybody-really-know-what-time-it-is/).

Okay, so Google says battery life is greatly improved with Watch Face Format, so most people who don't care about fancy watch faces have a better experience, right? Except the battery life is as bad, or worse. However, to be fair, it's hard to directly compare as my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 also updated from One UI 6 to One UI 8, and the battery life could simply be worse now. Since the update, I've only gotten 18 hours on a charge (100% to 25%), whereas in the very recent past, I would easily get a full day.

I loved my Wear OS watches; I've worn one for well over 10 years. This one will be my last. If I'm going to have a feature watch, I'll just buy one for a third of the price of a smartwatch and have a week of battery instead of barely a day. You screwed it up, Google, god knows why.