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Google is working on a raise-to-talk feature for Wear OS watches (APK teardown)
Published onApril 15, 2025
- Google is working on a “Raise to Talk” gesture for Wear OS smartwatches, which could seemingly allow users to trigger Google Assistant/Gemini by lifting their smartwatch.
- The feature appears similar to Apple’s Raise to Speak feature for triggering Siri on Apple Watches.
- This new gesture could join existing methods like the button press and the “Hey Google” hotword to trigger Google Assistant (and soon, Gemini). It could potentially also be a Pixel Watch exclusive.
Most smartwatches have a tiny screen, which is okay for basic gestures but nothing grandiose. If you want to do more with your smartwatch, you’ll eventually depend on a voice assistant. Currently, this is handled through Google Assistant on Wear OS smartwatches, but it will soon be handed off to Gemini. Google is also working to improve the ways that you can trigger the digital assistant on Wear OS watches by potentially adding a new “Raise to Talk” gesture.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
Code within Google app v16.14.39 beta indicates that Google is working on a feature called “Raise to Talk” for smartwatches. We couldn’t locate a lot of code around it, but from the looks of things, this feature could seemingly allow users to use Google Assistant/Gemini on Wear OS smartwatches merely by raising their smartwatch.
This feature could possibly exist as an option for triggering Google Assistant/Gemini, alongside other existing options like using the “Hey Google” hotword, or pressing a button on the watch.
Apple already has a similar feature for Apple Watches. The Raise to Speak feature on Apple Watches allows users to raise their wrist and speak into their smartwatch to make a Siri request. This feature exists as an option, so users can toggle it off, too.
Other mechanisms to trigger Siri on an Apple Watch are using hotwords “Siri” and “Hey Siri” and pressing and holding the Digital Crown button until the Siri interface appears.
It’s not immediately clear if Google’s Raise to Talk feature will be available on all Wear OS smartwatches or be a Pixel Watch exclusive. We’re leaning towards the latter as it would perfectly round out the Pixel Watch experience. This feature is not currently live, nor has Google confirmed it. We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.