android-wear-os-compose

name	android-wear-os-compose
description	Jetpack Compose for Wear OS, rotary input, and ambient modes.
category	hardware-form-factors
risk	medium
source	community
date_added	2026-04-07
metadata	{"triggers":["@wearos","watch app","wear compose"]}

Wear OS Compose & Hardware Inputs ⌚

Building for the wrist comes with entirely new constraints regarding battery life, input mechanisms, and screen real estate.

⚡ When to Use

• When asked to build a Wear OS companion app or standalone watch app.

🏗️ Core Rules / Pillars

1. Wear Compose Dependencies

• Pattern: Standard compose material will look incorrect and tiny on Wear OS. ALWAYS use androidx.wear.compose:compose-material or compose-material3 specifically meant for watches.
• Implementation: Instead of Scaffold, use Scaffold from the Wear OS library which includes a TimeText and PositionIndicator.

2. Rotary Input (Crown support)

• Pattern: Scrolling lists MUST support the physical rotating crown on the watch.
• Implementation: Combine ScalingLazyColumn with .rotaryScrollable() modifier to capture hardware scroll events continuously.

🚧 Critical Anti-Hallucination Guards

• Trap: Do not hallucinate massive long-running background workers for Wear OS! Always use Google Play Services DataClient or MessageClient to safely proxy network requests to the attached phone to save watch battery life.