Wear OS 6 fixes the most annoying thing about always-on displays

After years as a power-draining setting with significant limitations, the always-on display on Wear OS smartwatches is finally getting a glow-up.

Hitting wrists via Wear OS 6, a redesigned always-on display (AOD) will now offer more functionality, adding key controls to the screen. As someone who spends way too much time flicking my wrist just to perform basic actions, I couldn’t be happier.

In its developer documentation, Google confirmed that Wear OS 6 will “consolidate existing solutions to deliver a more consistent always-on experience across devices.” In practice, that means Wear OS watches will continue to display important details even when your wrist is down. The display will retain control screens, instead of fading into a basic clock face, and honestly, it’s about time (no pun intended).

This might sound like a small UI tweak, but it’s actually a fundamental shift in how I’ll be able to use my go-to wearables.

Google is baking more AOD usability directly in as a standard feature, and the example the company provided is one of the best use cases I can think of: tappable media controls visible on the ambient screen (displayed using a low-power outline design that fits the aesthetic).

That means no more exaggerated arm raises trying to skip a track mid-workout, and tipping my balance on the treadmill precariously. No more wrist flicks in frustration in the middle of the road when I want to check something mid-ride. I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve glanced at my watch while cooking, hoping to quickly pause my audiobook while I check a recipe note, only to be met with a static screen.

Of course, the update also goes beyond media controls. I’m also excited about the ability to use my watch’s AOD more broadly as a glanceable and interactive interface, not just a low-power placeholder. Google confirmed that users’ top activity will remain visible and “in a resumed state” during ambient mode, suggesting the watch will offer more functionality right on the always-on screen. For me, this would make enabling always-on a much more worthwhile battery life trade-off.

This isn’t some flashy, headline-grabbing update, but it’s exactly the kind of thoughtful polish I hope for as each launch season approaches. Large-scale, sweeping changes are one thing, but tiny, thoughtful user experience improvements are equally appreciated.