Google confirmed that the Wear OS 8 status bar will display the time and system icons in smartwatch apps, with one indicator shown at a time by priority.
Google confirmed that a system status bar will launch in Wear OS 8, displaying the time and system icons at the top of smartwatch apps. The details were revealed in an Android Developers blog post (h/t: Mishaal Rahman). Google quietly announced earlier that a system status bar was coming to a future version of Wear OS, and has now shared more information about the feature.
The announcement comes a few days after Google first revealed the feature while allowing developers to test it in a Wear OS 7.1 emulator. Google noted at the time that the status bar would not launch with Wear OS 7.1 and would instead be available in a later Wear OS release. The update provides a clearer idea of when the feature is arriving.
Google also posted an image to show what to expect. The picture shows the time at the 12 o’clock position, along with an airplane mode icon and what seems to be a Do-Not-Disturb indicator.
Developers previously had to create their own clock to display the time over the top of their apps. This addition gives developers in-app clock functionality with minimal effort, while providing users with a consistent clock across all their apps.
The status bar icons should also help users check connectivity at a glance. In addition to the airplane mode icon and DND indicator, Google says the status bar will show icons for active microphones, location, and battery status. The company says only one icon is shown at a time, based on priority.
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Luiza Mosneagu is Reviews Editor at Droid Tools. A psychologist by training and tech writer by passion, she has tested over 60 Android devices since 2020 - always for a minimum of two weeks before writing a word. Her focus is camera quality, everyday usability, and cutting through marketing claims to tell you what a device is actually like to live with.
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