Doze Mode and App Permissions are also headed to Android Wear with Marshmallow update

08.02.2016
The Marshmallow update for Android Wear may do a lot more than Google told us about last week.

According to Motorola’s update page for the second-generation Moto 360, features like Doze Mode and App Permissions are on their way with the newest software. Specific to Motorola’s watch is a new running app called Moto Body Running, which is designed to track the time, pace, distance, and heart rate of an indoor workout (presumably a treadmill run). This sounds like the software already included in the Moto 360 Sport.

Doze Mode will preserve your watch’s battery by putting it into a deep sleep when it’s not charging or in use. If there are times when you take off the watch and don’t put it on the charging stand, then this may squeeze out some extra battery life for you.

The App Permissions feature should work just like it does on Android phones, giving the ability to modify permissions from the settings menu. You may not want to do this a ton on such a smaller screen, but at least it offers you more control.

Another helpful feature is the ability to manually set the date and time zone when you travel. This way you can keep your watch set to your home time zone and put your phone on your current location. Motorola also lists various other performance improvements and bug fixes, so be on the lookout for an update notification.

Why this matters: It sounds like a good batch of improvements all around. Google’s announcement clearly didn’t detail everything coming in Marshmallow for watches, so when the update hits your wristwear (it could take several days) it’ll be worth it to play around and see what else you might be able to uncover.

(www.greenbot.com)

Derek Walter