Hi, is it only me or other Developers/Designers facing this issue ? Mostly I get bad reviews because user can’t install the watch face I know it’s not a Watch Face Studio issue I posted here so that I wanna know how many Developers/Designers facing this issue and how they are resolving it. Wanted some tips.
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This happens mainly because the newly installed watch face is not automatically applied and people don’t know where to look for it. It wasn’t a problem half a year ago. It is hard to say whether anything will be done about it.
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It’s so easy to install an App on Android whereas on WearOS is totally a nightmare for a common user, not sure why Google made it this way and not sure when they gonna make it easy.
This is so common that Tony Morelan created a blog on how to install watch faces.
The big issue now is that Google downloads and it installs on the watch but it is not installed as the active watch face and the user has to search to the end of the list to see the latest download. (it works the same way for Android apps to your phone but people expect it there or at least an open when finished option)
I don’t believe this is a WFS or a Wear App issue but Play Store issue. Anyway refer them to the blog.
Ron
Samsung Developer Relations
Yes, this happens on nearly any new watchface published on playstore, and although the developers post detailed instructions and install guides attached with every watchface like i do
I attach a download guide in hd image format, and as an image preview, it’s the 1st image.
90 percent of the smartwatch users are sorry to say that they are not smart enough to install a watchface successfully, and it is all due to every changing ways adopted by Google and Samsung without caring about these low IQ users.
All kind of people in the world use a mobile phone for more than last 10 years but a large number of these uses dont even know know how to use or navigate features there phones have what to talk of smartwatches.
Android wear os is more complexed than the old Tizen OS why because the more number of freatures make it more more complexes to be handled and evey new update brings plethora of new bugs. So with every new update, new challenges for the end user.
1 Present Install Bugs Since November 2022
If Android wear os system app present on watch is updated to Novemeber 18 last version. At some point in time, new watchfaces downloaded fail to appear even in watch what to talk about Galaxy Wearable.
Solution: This can be resolved by uninstalling the latest update of Google app “Wear OS” from watch my apps sections pressing uninstall will only uninstall update this will reset the favorties list BUT now all new watchfaces added by user will appear in watch as well on Galaxy wearable. This has not been resolved by Google or Samsung
Now this i see as a problem that has to be directly handled by Samsung and primarily by Google.As of me writing this post, this bug hasn’t been resolved to date
- Now about the watchface install issues, i have noticed 1 new thing, which i also asked on this forum, but i think many dont know even developers yet that
"When a watchface is approved now a days with of course wear os option opted in The watchface install button which previously was visible immediately
appears after around 72 hours, and until then, the user can only install via the web browser method. I can confirm this for the last 3 watchfaces of mine when got published. After 72 hours, approximately the button appears .
So, the suggestion to developers is to wait for another 72 hours before the distribution of coupons and publicity immediately.
Otherwise, many lower iq people will downrate your face and say they can not install it.
The installation issues we have been seeing from the Day 1 of the launch of watch4classic still continues it changes its shape sometimes install button missing sometimes something else but its a crap sprayed upon users and developers by Google and Samsung both.
Both companies really dont care about end user its like go and figure it out yourself thing. Why? Because i dont see any better option than wear os out there .
Tizen is old and as we know Samsung has given February 28 last day to developers for publishing new apps . So forget about tizen. Amazfit is good but Zepp OS is too bland and app less.
Only possibly good option is to move out of Android eco system and join Apple which again are after money and expensive, not an option for everyone.
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Google should pay us the damages for all those negative feedback and refund requests due to this big problem which they never fixed. 
Anyway, having come up with creating tutorials for how to “install” watch face is something really crazy. Any App, such as a watch face, should install without problems, as it did on Tizen / Galaxy Store.
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I don’t think this has anything to do with Samsung If you have a different watch brand it should be the same way. This is how Play Store has chosen to do it. You need to complain to the Google Play Store.
The last I asked the wearable app gets it’s information from Play Store and there isn’t much they can do about it either.
Ron
Samsung Developer Relations
Same daily situation. 
They wrote to me that I’m a “swindler”, “scam app”, “you have to pay twice”, “this watch face doesn’t work” etc. etc.
Sometimes the user understands his mistake and corrects the review. Other times it does not change and keeps the negative comment “1 star”. 
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Calling Scammer is a thing now I hear this everyday 
It is a cottage industry now. I looked at a Wall paper app the store preview had an image I really thought was good. Once it was opened it had an ad, after that it had 5 options and you picked one and that had an ad. that screen had 5 options pick that and there was another screen I quit after that.
Ron
That’s an other thing developers earn from Ads so they need to put them. At the same time they do offer Premium version of same app without ads that how they run. On watch faces they are already paid user pay for them but Can’t install or don’t know how to install no matter how detailed you explain them it’s because Google made watch faces and mobile apps both integrated in one store they should give separate Playstore for watches where experience be more seamless and easy for everyone. @r.liechty_SDP
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I am not against ads. I am against worthless apps that don’t do what the description says and forces you to waste time watching ads.
Back to subject… Samsung cannot intercede in the Play Store operations. These complaints have to go there.
Ron
Complaints have been going there.
I wrote to Google Play support many times, regarding various in-store issues, including installation issues, visibility issues, various user complaints, unfair reviews etc.
I know other devs have done the same, but every time it’s like talking to a wall.
It’s always the same copy/paste bot-like response, and even if it seems to be going somewhere (if you’re really persistent), it ultimately stops at “we’ll get back at you once we investigate the issue further”.
Unlike Samsung, which has a great team of people who are happy to listen and help the devs, Google seems to rely heavily on automated, extremely limited responses.
We have zero contact with Play Store dev team working on Wear OS, and no way to communicate major issues, or offer any suggestions whatsoever.
That’s a huge issue, especially in the long run.
That’s probably why Play Store complaints end up on this forum. Nothing else seems to work anyway, at least here we all understand and experience the same issues, and can comment about them.
It’s like a support group basically
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