At Google I/O 2023, Wear OS 4 was introduced with enhanced battery life and text-to-speech support. Some other support like backup and support will come to this version soon. Wear OS 4 is currently in developers’ preview with some changes and will bring enhanced golf tracking and health connect.
On Wear OS 4 developers get a more regular method to access the OS sensor data by Health Services. From the latest update developers enable to access heart rates more often and get several golf shot records. The company working with Samsung to get detail of the size of the golf swing (short, putt, or full).
Now they working on this feature which allows apps to make automatic tracking and scoring while on the golf course on compatible watches. Moreover, this update will bring accessing body sensors in the background:
For example, if your app tracks heart rate in the background while the user is not actively using your app, this new permission will apply. This helps users stay in control of their health data and helps you access the data you need to create valuable experiences for them in a power-efficient manner.
On Pixel as 13 QPR2 Health Connect is installed by default or downloaded from the Play Store. For new features, users get updates from the Google Play System Updates.
Users can give an app permission to write route data as part of an exercise session, and then other apps can give the user the option to import route data from Health Connect. Users always remain in control and can approve or deny each route import.
At last, on Android 14 devices this app is always available which is an advantage for the developers.