Raising the quality bar with updated guidelines for Wear OS 3.0

Posted by Marcus Leal, Senior Product Supervisor for Google Play Retailer

Our Trendy Android Developer instruments and APIs are designed that can assist you construct prime quality apps your customers love, and this extends to type elements similar to wearables. Earlier this 12 months we introduced udates to our developer instruments APIs to help you in constructing seamless, prime quality apps in your customers. Right this moment we’re saying new pointers to assist help you in constructing these experiences.

Up to date high quality pointers for Wear OS apps

We’ve began by updating our pointers to provide you a greater understanding of what we count on of high quality apps on Google Play, and what your customers will probably be anticipating for Wear OS 3.0. A number of the main adjustments are summarized beneath:

• There are up to date high quality necessities for notifications, format, and Wear performance. Beginning October thirteenth, Wear OS apps might want to meet these necessities to be printed on Google Play.
• Beginning October thirteenth, Watch Faces might want to adjust to our up to date pointers. All watch faces nonetheless have to adjust to Google Play insurance policies in an effort to publish on Google Play.

Many builders are already assembly these necessities and received’t have to make many of those adjustments when migrating to Wear OS 3.0. Nonetheless, we suggest familiarizing your self with the total up to date pointers right here.

Up to date screenshot necessities for Wear OS apps

With these high quality guideline updates, we’re additionally rolling out adjustments to the Play Retailer to enhance the discoverability of Wear OS apps. In July we launched the power for individuals to filter for Wear OS and Watch Faces when looking for apps inside the Play Retailer.

We’re now releasing new screenshot necessities for Wear OS apps to assist customers higher perceive your Wear OS app’s performance when discovering new apps. Beginning October thirteenth, Wear OS apps might want to meet these screenshot necessities to be printed on Google Play:

• Add screenshots with a minimal dimension of 384 x 384 pixels, and with a 1:1 side ratio.
• Present screenshots exhibiting solely your app interface — screenshots should exhibit the precise in-app or in-game expertise, specializing in the core options and content material so customers can anticipate what the app or recreation expertise will probably be like.
• Don’t body your screenshots in a Wear OS watch.
• Don’t embody extra textual content, graphics, or backgrounds in your Wear OS screenshots that aren’t a part of the interface of your app.
• Don’t embody clear backgrounds or masking.

Much like cellular, your retailer itemizing and the standard of your Wear OS app will affect your search rating and alternatives for merchandising. As a way to put your finest foot ahead on Google Play, we suggest interested by the next concerns:

• Take a look at your app on Wear OS 3.0 gadgets, and ensure it’s working as anticipated.
• Ensure that your retailer itemizing reveals that your app is out there for Wear OS. A method to do that is to add a screenshot of your Wear OS app or Watch face in Google Play Console.
• Most significantly, guarantee your Wear OS app meets the new high quality necessities.

We hope this transparency helps your growth course of, and we stay up for seeing extra seamless Wear OS experiences on Google Play. Blissful Coding!