Google Announces Only WFF Format for Pre-installed WearOS5 Smartwatches from 2024

TapTechNews July 11th news, Google updated its support documentation and announced that starting from July 10, 2024, smartwatches pre-installed with WearOS5 will only support the WatchFaceFormat (WFF) format of watch faces, and the old-format watch faces will not be downloadable.

Google stated in the support documentation that with the release of the GalaxyWatch7 series smartwatches pre-installed with WearOS5, subsequent WearOS5 will only support the WFF format of watch faces:

Existing watch users: On smartwatches running WearOS2 and above, existing watch faces can continue to be used.

New purchasers: After users buy a new smartwatch pre-installed with WearOS5, even if the user has used the old-format watch face before, it cannot be downloaded.

New migratory users: When users back up their current smartwatch and migrate to a new watch pre-installed with WearOS5 system, some old watch faces may not be transferable.

TapTechNews queried public information, and WFF was jointly developed by Google and Samsung, which is a declarative XML format for building watch faces, meaning there is no executable code or embedded code in the watch face APK.

Google said that compared to watch faces built using JetpackWatchFace, the characteristic of WFF is that it is convenient for maintenance and update. In addition, the WearOS platform will handle the logic required to render the watch surface, so that developers can focus on creativity rather than code optimization or battery performance.

Google said that WFF is helpful for future-oriented watch faces, and processing and rendering through the coprocessor (MCU) can further optimize performance and improve battery life.