Ingress update adds Android Wear support!

Google has been promising Android Wear support for the Ingress social game since February, when they suggested the update would come sometime in March. Said month (as well as a few following it) has come and gone with no results. Don’t lose hope just yet, though – Google is finally ready to update Ingress and Android Wear support is a go!

With Ingress version 1.81, you can now play Android without looking like a weird man staring at his phone while walking around those portals. As it goes with any Android Wear application, the game will continue running on your smartphone, but you will get access to certain actions and notifications on your smart watch.

For example, the Android Wear system can now notify you when there are portals within range, or when they are under attack. Google provided us with a nice graphic showing us what the interface would look like in that tiny screen. Thankfully, we won’t have to rely on graphics soon, as we will be able to experience this first-hand. Regardless, the concept looks simple and very helpful for Ingress players.

For those who need a rundown of what Ingress is, this app uses augmented reality to use your surroundings as the in-game environment. There are two sides; you can choose to join either the “enlightened” or the “resistance”. The goal would be to take over as many portals and areas as possible, which can be hard when the opposing team is trying to do the same. Yep… it’s an endless game!

The Ingress update to firmware 1.81 should be rolling out periodically, as always. Has your update shown up? Mine hasn’t, so let us know how well Ingress works on your Android Wear smart watch, if you have access to it.