Following the launch of its first
native iPad app, Meta has announced the first official Apple Watch app for its popular encrypted messaging platform, expanding more of its services to non-smartphone on-the-go wearables.
15 years since its initial launch, WhatsApp will now become accessible to Apple Watch owners, with the ability to send,
receive and type messages directly from their wrists.
In addition, users will be able to see call
notifications and read entire WhatsApp messages on their watch, with the option to record and send voice messages, send emoji reactions, Meta explains in a blog post.
The company also writes that users will see “clear images and stickers” on their Apple Watches.
advertisement
advertisement
A designated WhatsApp Apple Watch app could bring the service to over a hundred million more users, but it may also play into Meta’s vision for future technology
usage.
As Meta continues to develop its own wearable tech, like its rapidly expanding
EssilorLuxottica smart glasses, the company is focused on
filling a gap left by the potential future decline of smartphone use. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that he believes smart glasses will eventually replace smartphones and all handheld
devices as the population’s main everyday device.
Notably, wrist-controlled tech
is emerging as a main feature of Meta’s smart glasses updates. At its retail stores and physical pop up launches this holiday
season, the company is premiering a “Display” glasses option that comes with a “Neural Band” wrist controller.