Telegram is sending Wear OS users a goodbye message as the app quietly dies
Michael King What you need to know
- Telegram v8.0 adds a slew of features to the smartphone app, including trending stickers, enhanced live streaming capabilities, Flexible Forwarding, and more.
- This update removes the Wear OS app from the Play Store.
- The Telegram Wear OS app will stop working, even if you leave it installed, and you will not be able to reinstall it.
Telegram is saying goodbye to Wear OS owners as the latest Telegram update removes the app from the Google Play Store on Wear OS watches. Telegram is one of the best messaging apps on Android, with the latest update adding a ton of great new features for users to enjoy, but it's removing the ability to do just about everything from the comfort of your wrist.
Whether this is a signal of something greater to come or the end of an era is not yet clear, but 9to5Google confirmed the move with Telegram support, who issued a statement about the move:
Starting with Telegram V8.0, the Wear OS app will not be available to download anymore. Note that if you still have Telegram installed on your Wear OS device, it may stop working soon.Telegram Support
We've reached out to Telegram's PR team to determine why this decision was made and if it's a permanent decision, especially since Wear OS 3 just launched. While it's highly doubtful, there's always a chance that Telegram discontinued the app as the Wear OS community awaits the Wear OS 3 update and could release a new app down the road when the new OS rolls out.
As it stands, neither Wear OS 2-powered watches nor the Wear OS 3-powered Galaxy Watch 4 are able to download the existing Telegram app.
If you're a regular user of Telegram on your smartphone, Telegram v8.0 brings many great new features to the table. That includes an upgrade to the live streaming functionality, which now supports an unlimited number of viewers. Forwarding messages can now be previewed and customized, letting you forward only portions of the message or the message in its entirety. You'll also find a range of new stickers, as well as trending stickers, to spice up your chats.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 is a follow-up to the extremely popular Galaxy Watch Active 2. The fitness-focused Wear OS 3 smartwatch offers great battery life, an attractive design, and a long list of useful health tracking features.
