Installing APKs on Wear OS Smartwatches

There is no doubt that the Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches out there. From tracking workouts to answering notifications. Another advantage of the Apple Watch is the abundance of apps. But Apple Watch is only compatible with iPhones. Users of Android devices have only one option - Wear OS.

Despite Wear OS's many features, it isn't as polished as watchOS on the Apple Watch. Android phones can be customized, just like Wear OS. In addition to the apps on the Play Store, you can also sideload APKs, just as you can on a smartphone. When an app isn't available in your region or can't be found on the Play Store, you can use this feature.

Here's how you can sideload an app onto a Wear OS smartwatch by installing an APK.

WEAR OS SIDELOADING APPS

Over the years, Wear OS has evolved. Yet, the app ecosystem is still not very mature, with many app developers discontinuing support for their apps. As a result, many Wear OS apps have been removed from the Play Store. If you want to use an app that's not available on the Play Store anymore, you can sideload the APK versions of these apps.

The Play Store may not have all Wear OS apps available in all regions. Google Pay, for instance, is only available in certain countries. APKs for Wear OS smartwatches can be installed on your watch and used in your region.

WEAR ADB WITH OS SMARTWATCH APK INSTALLATION

There are a few options for sideloading an APK onto a Wear OS smartwatch, but we'll go with the most universal method: ADB. This method requires a computer to install APKs on your smartwatch. It's the safest option because there's no need for a third-party app.

Setting up ADB

Step 1: Download the relevant ADB files based on the OS you use on your computer.

Get ADB for Windows

Get ADB for Mac

Get ADB for Linux

Step 2: Extract the ZIP file to a location of your choice. On Windows, hold the Shift key and right-click on the extracted file, and select ‘Open command window here.’ On Mac and Linux, open Terminal, type in cd and hit Enter to change the active directory. Then drag the folder you unzipped and drop it in the Terminal window. You will now get a path to that folder on Terminal. Press Enter.

Step 3: To enable ADB debugging on the watch, open the Settings app.

Step 4: Scroll down to the System section and tap on it.

Step 5: Tap on About.

Step 6: Scroll till you find the Build Number. Tap on it 7 times repeatedly to unlock Developer Options on your watch.

Step 7: When you open the Settings app, you will find Developer Options at the bottom of the page. Tap on it.

Step 8: Tap on the toggle next to ADB debugging to enable it. Tap on the green tick when prompted to confirm.

Step 9: Scroll down slightly and also enable the toggle next to Debug over Wi-Fi.

Step 10: The watch may initially display a message saying Unavailable that will soon be replaced by a string of characters including the IP address. This means ADB over Wi-Fi has been enabled. Note down the IP address displayed here. It’s going to be something like 192.168.1.325:5555.

Installing APKs via ADB

Now that you’ve enabled ADB via Wi-Fi, let’s get to transferring the APK to the watch and installing it via the PC.

Step 1: Download the APK of the app you want to install from renowned sources like APK Mirror. Copy it to the platform-tools folder where ADB is installed.

Step 2: In the terminal window opened earlier, type in ./adb connect <IP Address>. The IP address here is what you noted down earlier. The command would look like ./adb connect 192.168.1.325:5555.

Step 3: You will now see a prompt on your watch to allow the ADB connection. Select OK.

Step 4: The terminal window will now show that you are connected to the watch.

Step 5: Use the command ./adb push <filename.apk> /sdcard/ to transfer the APK to the watch.

Step 6: The file will be pushed to your watch as confirmed by the terminal result.

Step 7: It’s now time to install the app. Type this command, where the filename.apk should be the filename of the APK you want to install:

" ./adb -e install <filename.apk>"

Step 8: A Success message will now be displayed on the terminal indicating that the app has been installed on your watch.

Step 9: Head back to the Settings app on your watch and then go to Developer Options.

Step 10: Disable ADB Debugging to ensure it doesn’t consume the battery juice in the background unnecessarily.

Step 11: Open the app drawer on your watch and you should see the app you installed listed there. Open it and you can use it like any other app.

Repeat the process if you want to install multiple apps, and then disable ADB Debugging at the end. This procedure is comparable to using ADB to install apps on an Android phone. The only change is that instead of using a cable connection, we're using ADB over Wi-Fi.

ON YOUR SMARTWATCH, INSTALL UNSUPPORTED WEAR OS APPS

You can easily download the APKs of any apps you choose and install them on your Wear OS wearable. You'll be able to utilise all of the apps and games that aren't officially supported in your location or on your device in this way.