Google recently launched the Wear OS 5 Developer Preview. On this occasion, the company announced new features such as more advanced metrics for runners and the ability to export old data from Google Health Connect. Additionally, a new watch face format and other tools are said to improve the battery life of wearables.
Today, Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority claims to have found additional features that weren’t in the patch notes. The first of these alleged undisclosed tools is a grid-based app launcher, an alternative to the list view. However, this launcher is listed on the site in Google’s changelog, where the company says it is “visually similar” to launchers for other brands’ Wear OS devices, such as the OnePlus Watch 2. You can toggle between list view and grid view by going to Settings > General > App view.
The second feature spotted is a Privacy Dashboard, which is also found in Settings. There you can view the permissions you have granted and see if they have been accessed recently. This should make it easier for users to get a summary of permissions and re-evaluate them if necessary. Another privacy feature in Wear OS 5 is Screenshot Detection, a tool taken from Android 14. This API detects screenshots and can notify the user about them. Developers also have the option to block the ability to take screenshots in the app. Wear OS 5 is expected to launch in the second half of this year, alongside devices such as Samsung Galaxy Watch7 and Google Pixel Watch 3.
