More Wear OS watch faces will consume less power in the future

What do you want to know

• Google actively encourages watch face developers to adopt the watch face format, as failure to do so could limit their watch faces to basic functionality.
• The new format lets Wear OS handle the processing, allowing developers to focus on aesthetics without the need for extensive code optimizations.
• Google’s desire for WFF is closely linked to the hybrid Wear OS interface unveiled at MWC 2024.

Google wants developers to incorporate the new Watch Face Format (WFF) to create watch faces on Wear OS to get the most out of your battery life.

Back at I/O 2023, Google and Samsung joined forces to create WFF for Wear OS 4. This new format is not only easier to manage, but also contains a power-saving trick, giving Give your smart watch longer battery life.

For the moment, developers are still clinging to the old Jetpack or Wearable Support libraries, even if they fail to exploit the full potential of the new format.

But Google is now encouraging watch face developers adopt WFF. Otherwise, their watch faces will only manage the basics like battery, app shortcuts, number of unread notifications, date, time & date, day of week, day & date and the world clock (via 9to5Google).

The new format is declarative XML, which basically means no logic or executable code. Wear OS does the heavy lifting, leaving developers free to create watch faces without getting bogged down in code optimizations. According to Google, this new format is low maintenance and requires fewer updates.

However, WFF is not without limitations. Many have complained on Reddit about how it doesn’t work well with complex features or animations. It seems like Google is getting everyone to adopt simpler designs with this one.

Although Watch Face Format isn’t as feature-rich as the Jetpack or Wearable libraries, Google’s push is tied to the new Wear OS hybrid interface revealed at MWC 2024. In Wear OS 4, watch faces can operate smoothly on the co-processor without drawing power from the main processor in dual-chip smartwatches.

Making WFF a staple in upcoming Wear OS releases is a strategic move to ensure best-in-class battery life on hybrid Wear OS watches like the OnePlus Watch 2, no matter which watch face you choose.