Some Wear OS owners can't wait for Gemini, so they're sideloading now
TL;DR Google Gemini is coming to replace Assistant on Wear OS smartwatches.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 series, which launched earlier this week, introduces Gemini, but updates are coming to existing hardware.
Users have discovered that simply sideloading the Gemini APK works on many Wear OS devices.
This week's big news has been all about Samsung's latest launches, and while the company's new foldables and smartwatches are debuting with some hot new features, they're not necessarily the only hardware that's learning these tricks. That's exactly what's going on with Gemini and the Galaxy Watch 8, and even with Samsung's new wearables leading the path, Google's been clear that Gemini is coming to Wear OS devices running Wear OS 4 and later, including its own Pixel Watch models.
That's well and good, but with lots of Assistant users already comfortable with Gemini on their phones, many have been eager to make the switch on their watches, as well — and they don't quite feel like waiting patiently for an update.
Luckily for them, there is a solution to bypass all that waiting and get started with Gemini right now — it's just a bit more complicated than we imagine some users will want to bother with. Reddit user eliasacab outlines the process they took in a recent post to the site's Wear OS sub. Basically, you need to download the Gemini on Wear OS APK from a site like APKMirror, and then sideload it onto your wearable.
That's slightly more involved than sideloading an APK on your phone (which itself is enough to make some users nervous), but the good news is that it sounds like it works pretty well, with users reporting success on models like the Fossil Gen 6, OnePlus Watch 3, and of course, Pixel Watches. That said, some are running into trouble, and we see a couple reports of issues with the TicWatch Pro 5.
If you're patient, just sit tight, and Gemini will come to your Wear OS watch in due time. But for everyone who's craving a more timely update (and given how rarely wearables pick up major new features, we certainly understand the interest) the path forward awaits — if you're up for it.
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