Meta brings WhatsApp to Wear OS smartwatches with standalone app

Now you can start conversations, reply to messages and take calls on your smartwatch.

The WhatsApp app for Wear OS has been in the works for months. (Image: Meta)

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WhatsApp users can now enjoy the convenience of sending and receiving messages, making calls and using emojis on their Wear OS smartwatches, thanks to the launch of a standalone app by Meta.

The app, which was just announced by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is compatible with smartwatches running the latest version of Google’s operating system for wearables, Wear OS 3. It allows users to start new conversations, reply to messages and take calls without needing their connected phone nearby.

The WhatsApp app for Wear OS has been in the works for months and was first revealed by Google at its I/O conference in May, along with other new and improved apps from third-party developers such as Spotify and Peloton.

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The launch of the WhatsApp app for Wear OS gives it an edge over Apple’s watchOS, which presently lacks a native WhatsApp app. Apple Watch users can only view and respond to incoming messages via notifications from their iPhone, but cannot initiate conversations or make calls through WhatsApp on their smartwatch.