The launch of the Galaxy Watch 4 series is significant because it revives the Google and Samsung partnership on Wear OS that the platform desperately needs to find new life. The partnership also means Google services are back on Samsung’s watches, including Google Assistant. As we all know, after waiting a few months, neither the Galaxy Watch 4 or the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will have an assistant, and we were told in February that it could be a few more months.
Things appear to be changing today, according to an update for the Verizon variant of the Galaxy Watch 4 series. The update has started rolling out to build QU1FVC8 (R885USQU1FVC8), and the changelog mentions where you can access the Google Assistant.
Samsung hasn’t announced that Google Assistant is here, so keep in touch with us as we try to update or find more information. However, the (very low-res) image (above) included by Verizon shows that Google Assistant is also an option that can be turned on with a “Hey Google” activation. It only mentions that “If you have Google Assistant downloaded, it will show up in the settings menu under ‘Google Account’.”
Curiously, Samsung released a similar update to other models earlier this month, like the R870XXU1FVC8 or R890XXU1FVC8, without mentioning Google Assistant in the changelog. Is Verizon Shooting Here?
We were told back in February that Google Assistant would be coming to these Watch 4 devices as a standalone app that you’d have to download, so that makes sense. Of course, you may need this particular software update to add the menu above to your watch and let you open Assistant.
After the update, all you need to do is open Google Play on your Watch 4 and find Assistant. Either, just pull it out of your phone.
If you own a Verizon Galaxy Watch 4, please let us know if you see this update. We would love to see that menu.
- renew: At least one of our readers was able to get the new update and still couldn’t find the Google Assistant. Since Verizon says you have to “download” Google Assistant, that probably means we’re still waiting for Google to release it for the watch. This may be the case with Verizon a little early, even though this is an update that will bring Assistant support. Now we just wait again.
