New Target API 33 for watch face: when the new Watch Face Studio?

Watch Face Studio
1

Hi All!

Since the end of August, Google requires all new apps to target API 34 and for Watch Faces (Wear OS apps) API 33.

The latest currently available version of WFS (1.6.9) creates .aab files only with targets API 30.

When will the next version of WFS be available?

It should be noted that Google can give an extension until November 1st to update all apps but it would be better to understand when the new WFS will be released to organize ourselves accordingly.

@Boshra @Jakia.Sultana @fowziya.ah

Thanks !

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So that would mean if WFS next release enables Target API 33, one would have to re-publish all their apps in the latest version by August 31 2024 to conform?

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@MergeLabs

Yes, you have to send new .aab files.

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Thanks, so for now we can do nothing about until WFS can publish in API 33 right? Surely they must be working on this?

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Yes, that’s actually what I was wondering…

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I think we don’t need to resubmit existing watch faces (perhaps only the companion apps), as long as they’re made with the latest WFS version, which creates API 30+ faces.

“Apps that target Android 12 (API level 31) or lower ( Android 10 or lower for Wear OS and Android 11 or lower for TV OS), will only be available on devices running Android OS that are the same or lower than your apps’ target API level.”

This part suggests that Wear OS apps running Android 11 (API 30) or higher will still be supported, which is the bottom limit of what WFS 1.6.9 creates.

However, any new watch faces will need to support API 33, so we’d definitely need a new WFS version for releasing new watch faces after that August deadline.

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@enkei_design

This paragraph summarizes:

IMG-2024-07-04 104817
IMG-2024-07-04 1048171448Ă—1622 405 KB

In any case, it will be necessary to update all the apps (watch faces and companion apps) to ensure they remain available to new users on devices running Android OS higher than actual app’s target API level.

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8

Hello. I just got that for all of my watch faces. They were all updated with watchface studio Version 1.6.9. And now?

Bildschirmfoto 2024-07-04 um 16.11.24
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1 Like
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Me too…what a mess!
Screenshot 2024-07-04 at 10.24.18 PM|690x342

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If I understand the table correctly, all EXISTING apps are compliant with the Google policy if the target SDK is (Wear OS: 30, Companion App: 33).

Only new apps or new updates need to be aligned with (Wear OS: 33, Companion Apps: 34) — after August 31st.

So why am I being accused that my Apps are NOT compliant to Google Policy?

11

With Google we need the magic sphere… :man_mage:

I hope it’s yet another mistake and it gets fixed.

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Yeah … i hope its the typical … “i don’t know to explain it on point”. Maybe they still use ChatGPT 1.0 … or Gemini 0.1

I wouldn’t be surprised if all the bans happen just because they let the bots run before they set the timestamp correctly. :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: .

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opera_2024-07-04_18-13-58

It doesn’t make sense that I get this warning / notification when all my apps are 30+.

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Same here. Also, it’s worth noting that the last stable version of watch face studio was released more than a year ago. Well, this is another good reason to wait and avoid touching my watch faces for a couple weeks.

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I have also recieved this message on All my Watchfacs today.

We need a new watchface studio that addresses this issue before creating updates.

And as per my understanding it should not have been sent to us on watch faces made in WfS 1.6.9.

This is really frustating. And should be resolved by Samsung . If its from Google. Then Google must fix it before we think of updating . I was in process of updating all watchfaces with 1.6.9 . I updated are 30 of them in last 2 months. I guess i have to put it on hold now. :frowning:

The developer account termination fiasco has already hurt few developers and Google response to it is very slow.

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Hello, I have just started to create and publish watch faces, today my second passed the review process, but I received a warning that both faces now need to be updated to target API 33 by August 30th, 2024.

I am wondering if there is any way we can fix this API targeting problem ourselves while waiting for an updated release of WFS? I have looked in WFS 1.6.9 for a way to configure the API target but did not find anything.

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Hello. I also received similar emails for all watch faces yesterday.
It’s worrying that there hasn’t been a new update for watchface studio for a long time, what if Samsung abandons it?Or at least the delay in updating it is enough to get us into trouble with Google Play’s constantly changing policies.
According to the information I received, Samsung will stop buying and selling watch face on the Galaxy Store next September, which is bad

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are you taking about Galaxy Store or Google Playstore??.

Because that selling buying watchfaces is going to be implemented in Samsung Galaxy Store for All Tizen Watchfaces and watches.

Samsung Watch 7 Series is coming out in just 7 days. So i dont think Samsung Will stop wear os apps sales on Google Playstore. There is no such news.

Please share source of your information. Thanks.

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You can view it here.

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Thanks for sharing . Yes i have been knowing this about Tizen for last 3 years. This is but not true for Google Play Store and Wear OS.

Samsung announced this around 3 years ago when Watch4 Classic was released that support for Tizen and Tizen Watch faces will end in 2024.
Its not surprising.

What surprising is that Samsung still for last 3 years have not been able to fix issues with Google for Wear OS . Google Wear OS is here to stay . And the latest Watch 7 series is all about it.

So Question relative here is to Samsung
why dont you fix these messy issues with Google.

  1. Developer accounts terminated for strange reasons.
  2. Watch Face Studio Customization Menu Lag Wearable app.
  3. Smooth Installation steps for WF
  4. Better Communication of your reps wih Google.
  5. Poor Google Watch faces Search and integration playstore.

These are more important since Tizen support has ended and Samsung Only has to focus on Wear OS for its smartwatches. A smartwatch is useless if its software is unreliable.

I feel there is a gap of communication between Google and Samsung.

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