GoKawiilRita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has mandated that all Wear OS apps need to have a 64-bit version from September 15.
The company says developers can still offer a 32-bit app alongside the 64-bit version.
This comes months after Google announced similar plans for Google TV and Android TV.
It seems like 2026 is the year that Google’s other platforms will embrace the 64-bit era. Android TV and Google TV will require 64-bit app versions from August, and the company has now announced similar plans for Wear OS.
Google has announced that all new Wear OS apps and app updates hosted on the Play Store must have a 64-bit version alongside the existing 32-bit version from September 15, 2026. The company says Google Play will start blocking non-compliant apps after the deadline.
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“We are not making changes to our policy on 32-bit support, and Google Play will continue to deliver apps to existing 32-bit devices,” the company noted in its blog post. That’s good news as many smartwatches are equipped with a 32-bit version of Wear OS, preventing them from running 64-bit apps.
Google also notes that the “vast majority” of Wear OS developers have already implemented 64-bit versions of their apps. However, there are inevitably dormant or abandoned apps that get caught up in the 64-bit transition, so our fingers are crossed that these developers provide the necessary 64-bit update.
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