Wearable App Development: Building for Apple Watch and Wear OS

Wearable Landscape

Smartwatches require different approaches than phones. Interactions are brief, screens are small, and context is key. Design for glanceability.

Keep interactions under 2 seconds when possible. Focus on the most critical information. Use haptic feedback. Design for quick glances.

Use SwiftUI for watchOS development. Leverage complications for at-a-glance information. Handle background refresh efficiently.

Build with Jetpack Compose for Wear OS. Use curved layouts. Implement rotary input support. Optimize for multiple screen shapes.

Complications (watchOS) and Tiles (Wear OS) provide quick access to app information. Keep data fresh with background updates.

Leverage HealthKit (iOS) and Health Connect (Android) for fitness data. Request only necessary permissions.

Test on real devices whenever possible. Simulators don't replicate the full wrist experience.