With your new application I no longer need my mobile

With the extension to various simultaneous devices that WhatsApp offers on its platform, the company, owned by Meta, has taken the opportunity to extend instant messaging to smartwatches with Wear OS. Independently: You only need the smartwatch to send and/or receive a WhatsApp. We tested it and we can confirm that it works as expected.

If you are one of those people who are used to working out and only go out with your watch, you may be somewhat unsure of any important messages you might receive while exercising. With a mobile-enabled smartwatch, this is solved, especially when WhatsApp allows users to go into standalone mode on the watch. It’s still experimental, but there is a not very complicated way to try it on Wear OS. It represents a great advance in the versatility of these devices.

WhatsApp becomes independent on the clock

We broke the news this week and I was able to install the multi-device WhatsApp beta on my Samsung Galaxy Watch4 without too much trouble. I also did the activation from the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra that I use with the smartwatch: after both processes, WhatsApp worked perfectly and regardless of the phone. From now on I no longer had to manage Watch4 notificationsI just had to open WhatsApp on the watch.

I thought it was an essential app despite still being in testing: WhatsApp transfers the versatility of its new multi-device feature to bring communication to a accessory increasingly independent of the telephone. The new application for Wear OS allows you to chat from the watch, whether the mobile is nearby or not. And in most things about messaging and voice notes.

It is not necessary to receive a notification from a person to send him a WhatsApp, nor to speak to Google Assistant to ask him to send a message to the desired contact: I open the application on the watch, I go down to the corresponding chat and write from there, just like you would on mobile. It is true that the screen of the smartwatch makes it difficult, but that does not mean that it is not practical. It even has the audio function activated: don’t I want to write letter by letter or dictate the text to the assistant? I record a voice note and that’s it.

WhatsApp on Wear OS lets you send text messages and voice notes to anyone you’ve chatted with

In my experience, here are the advantages of standalone WhatsApp on the watch:

• I don’t need to carry my cell phone nor receive notifications to send messages to anyone with whom you have an open WhatsApp conversation.
• I can read the most recent conversation of all chats just by accessing their respective channel.
• WhatsApp for Wear OS lets you send messages and voice notes to any of the conversations. And I instantly see what time and day each communication was sent.
• Play the audios I receiveeven with the ability to speed them up (thanks, WhatsApp).
• I can see the photos received. With the inconvenience of the small screen, but they look.

For convenience, it’s like having a basic WhatsApp on the smartwatch that works independently of the phone app: I can use messaging on the watch even if the phone is off. The experience has been very positive for me, also recommendable: it is an excellent first step to give smartwatches true independence; allowing you to take advantage of the more expensive versions of these devices, those that offer mobile connectivity.

While the pros allow me to get a lot more out of my smartwatch now, I’ve also discovered several cons. These are the most frustrating:

• I can’t open new threads, I just stick to existing ones. The application on the watch provides access to all open conversations on the phone, but it is impossible to create new ones.
• Calls stay out. Being able to call directly from the watch is something I really missed: voice notes are insufficient.
• Battery discharge increases. The watch app consumes more battery than notifications, which reduces Wear OS battery life. WhatsApp has become the most battery drainer for me after the screen. In ballpark numbers, I’d say keep the app reduces autonomy between 10 and 15%always depending on how many conversations you have and how active they are.

It’s not that Wear OS is inherently very efficient, any application active in the background tends to boost consumption. And WhatsApp is the perfect example; though I still have to give it some wiggle room for criticism: the Wear OS app is currently in beta. We’ll see what happens when it’s available to everyone: it’s a remarkable leap forward in the autonomous capabilities of smartwatches.

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