A wristwatch used to be for just telling the time. Then it got a little smarter and started coming with advanced features like a compass and a calculator.
Today, it has evolved to be more like a command center. It can track the wearer’s sleep, tell them when they’ve been sedentary for too long, and even measure high blood pressure. All these features have one thing in common: wearable app development.
According to Grandview Research, the wearables market is expected to exceed S$186 billion by 2030. That’s a lot of opportunity for anyone interested in building apps for these devices.
So, if you’ve been itching to try your hand at wearable app development, now’s the perfect time to start. Interested and ready to try your hand at your first wearable app?
Here’s what you need to know to get started.
What are Wearable Apps?
A wearable app is basically any app or software designed to run on wearable devices like smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, smart rings, and more. These devices are becoming increasingly popular, with about 560 million in circulation as of 2024.
Wearable apps are smaller and faster than mobile apps, and are designed to perform very specific functions.
For example, a wearable app typically connects with a smartphone so that the owner can answer or reject phone calls, access their messages, control music, and more.
Some common examples are Google Fit, Fitbit, Strava, Calm, and device-specific companion apps like Spotify for Wear OS, or Apple’s Workout app.
Creating a Wearable App
You might be thinking, “I know how to build a mobile app. How different can it be?” Pretty different, actually. When it comes to wearable app development, you’re building for a tiny screen. Plus, you only have a few seconds to catch the user’s attention. We call this glanceable design.
If you’ve already been creating mobile apps, you already have some idea how this works. The difference here is in the details, so let’s break down what you need to know when you’re building for wearable tech.
1. Come Up with an App Idea
This sounds obvious, especially if you’ve been building mobile apps, but with mobile app development, the idea needs to be wearable-first.
You can’t just shrink your mobile app and call it a day. The real work is designing something that truly fits how people use wearables in real life. Navigation while cycling? Quick notifications? A hydration reminder? These are scenarios that make perfect sense for wearable tech.
Once you’ve gotten an idea that clicks, you can easily bring it to the market and start earning. According to PayPro Global, a platform that makes it easy by handling payments, taxes, compliance, and so on, is essential. Using it means that you just focus on building a great product and refining it with time.
2. Research the Market and Competitors
Once you’ve got an idea that ticks the box for wearable tech, the next step is to check if it already exists. If it does, how can you improve on it?
Look at the Oura Ring, for instance. When it launched, there were already hundreds of fitness trackers on the market. So, what did they do? They decided to focus on recovery and sleep, building a vibrant community in the process.
Not sure what to improve on? Visit the app stores for the platforms you’re targeting and see what people are complaining about. That’s your opportunity right there.
3. Define Key Features
This is where things get real. According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, 66 to 69% of health and fitness apps are abandoned within three months. That number is probably higher for wearables because users are not as patient.
What does this mean? It means that your app must absolutely do well to have a high retention rate. Focus on core features that give your app its value, and nail it. For example, if you want to build another fitness app, you can prioritize heart rate.
A wearable app that does one thing excellently beats one that does three things averagely, anytime.
4. Choose the Right Tech Stack
If you’ve created mobile apps in the past, you’ll understand how important choosing the right tech stack is. It’s the technical backbone of your entire project, and should depend on your target platform.
For example, if you want to build wearables for Apple Watch, you’re looking at Swift and SwiftUI with WatchKit. For Android wearables using Wear OS, you’ll likely use Kotlin and Jetpack Compose. If you’re considering cross-platform wearables, then frameworks like Flutter and React Native will save you development time.
Don’t forget about your backend infrastructure, such as Firebase, AWS, or Azure. Consider your target, and pick what works for it.
5. Develop, Test, and Launch
Once you’ve nailed everything, start building. If you’ve done something like this before, you know how it works: build a little, test a lot. This iterative approach means that you catch any issues early on and make all the necessary improvements before launch.
You have to do real-world testing, too. This is important because fixing issues later in the SDLC can be really expensive. What should have cost just $100 to fix early on could end up burning a $10,000 hole in your pocket if you catch it later down the road.
Once you’ve got all the kinks out, go ahead and launch on the respective app stores or on your own website.
Conclusion: Is Wearable App Development Worth It?
Wearable app development is a great opportunity for anyone in the tech field who wants to build a brand, learn new skills, and earn extra income along the way.
So, if you’ve got an app idea that is wearable-first, go for it. Just remember to make it fast, keep it simple, and solve real problems. Who knows? Your idea might be the next big thing in the wearable tech niche.