Google Releases Android Wear 2.0 Developer Preview 2

Today, Google announced the second preview release of its upcoming Android Wear 2.0 platform for wearable devices, adding support for new features and some bug fixes too.

As you may recall, Google announced the first Android Wear 2.0 preview release back in May as part of a wider series of Google I/O 2016 announcements. This will be the first release to support fully standalone apps, and it will include a new notification design, a new complications API, deeper integration with Google Fit, and more.

For Developer Preview 2, which Google says is still not ready for daily use—there will be at least two more previews before the final release in late 2016—Android Wear 2.0 picks up the following new features.

Platform API 24. Google incremented the Android Platform API version number to 24 to match Android Nougat. What this means to developers is that you need to use API 24 in your Android Studio projects that target Android Wear 2.0 now.

Wearable Drawers Enhancements. Wearable drawers debuted in Android Wear 2.0 Preview 1, but they’re getting better in Preview 2. Now, there is additional support for wearable drawer peeking, so it’s easier for users to access drawers as they scroll.

Other UI improvements. Developer Preview 2 also includes other UI improvements, such as automatic peek view, navigation drawer closure, and the ability to show the first action in a peek view.

Wrist Gestures. Google has supported wrist gestures in Android Wear since last year, allowing users have to scroll through the notification stream. In Developer Preview 2, the firm has opened this system to developers so they can use wrist gestures in their own applications. “This helps improve single hand usage, for when your users need their other hand to hold onto their shopping or their kids,” Google says.

As you should expect from the Developer Preview 2 name, this release is aimed at developers. If you want to learn more about Android Wear 2.0 from a developer perspective, be sure to check out this video tour, plus the documentation onthe Android Wear 2.0 Developer Preview web site.