It’s no secret that Wear OS development is mediocre, and the latest news proves just that. Just two years after the launch of Tiles, Google is finally allowing third-party applications to use the platform’s core feature.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with Wear OS watches (you’re not losing much), Tiles is a variety of screens that appear on a carousel that can be slid from the watch face. They provide easy access to information (such as weather or fitness statistics) or actions (such as stopwatches).
Blocks on Wear OS.
Until now, only primary Google apps and OEMs have been able to make use of Tiles. Given that access to third-party apps is a Wear OS exclusive selling point, it’s surprising that Google didn’t prepare for the occasion before. However, don’t get too excited, as these custom blocks will only be available to users later this spring with an update to the corresponding Wear OS platform.
Interested developers can check out the newly announced Jetpack Tiles library. Google has also published a list of best practices that should help you create an ideal practice.
