Hi, We recently moved to android enterprise with work profile (using Intune) for all of our android users. And we just found out that with android enterprise with work profile does not support wearOS yet so that our users cannot add their corporate email account (O365) to the outlook app on their samsung watch or pixel watch.we tried to contact microsoft about this and microsoft said that this is not up to Microsoft but it is up to Google Android whether they would like to support wearOS for work profile. Can Google confirm if they would like to provide some support for work profile in the future for wearOS as well? I know that any development of newly feature in android system are fully confidential but it would be good for android end users to know if Google has a plan to support this in the future or not.

Last year I was at the Samsung Mobile Business Summit in Germany. There, a company presented a modern version of home emergency calls. A home emergency call is an emergency call solution for elderly people who can call the emergency services immediately in an emergency. However, people are often unhappy using such solutions because they feel like a electronic ankle bracelet.The company rents out smartwatches (including Samsung Watches with wearOS) and manages them centrally. This is a more modern solution that is much better accepted. In principle, it would currently be possible to manage smartwatches, but these are likely to be OEM-specific features right now. Samsung smartwatches, for example, can be managed with Knox Manage: https://docs.samsungknox.com/admin/knox-manage/configure/profile/configure-profile-policies/wear-os-policies/ Wearables are usually used in companion mode with a smartphone. I would assume that there will be no standardized and comprehensive management solution for standalone wearable in the near future due to low demand.

Hey, We also get occasionally questions from employees if wearOS would support WP. Another issue are Notifications from Work Apps to watch for those companies who are running MS Intune as EMM.Brief summary for those who managing your Android fleet with Microsoft Intune:BYOD enrolled devices can get the notifications from Work Apps in to Watch.COPE enrolled devices can NOT get the notifications from Work Apps in to Watch (Google offer Enterprise policy for this but Microsoft does not have implemented it in Intune yet). DCR (Design Change Request) opened for Microsoft about COPE enrolled devices supporting notifications. Initial case: "Notifications from work apps to smart watch on COPE" TrackingID #2502121420002302 There is a Enterprise policies available in AMAPI (Android Management API). There is a string called "personalAppsThatCanReadWorkNotifications" under Advanced Security Overrides. This is the configuration needed to allow notifications from certain work apps like Outlook, Teams etc... to smart watch. It's using the NotificationListenerService. https://developers.google.com/android/management/reference/rest/v1/enterprises.policies#advancedsecurityoverrides thaknsJarmo

Currently this is the only wear OS enabled App in our Organisation I am aware of. For this specific App it would be a dedicated group of users ("lone-workers") to enable. However, we are interested to spread wear OS devices when other use cases come up. For example health awareness apps or indoor navigation (find meeting rooms for example).

Hi old thread but (still) the same situation. We are looking into an app development with an WearOS app for emergency situations. We are still testing, but my technical understanding of how the ecosystem with WearOS is built, the companion app will now show up on a paired watch if the app is installed in the work profile of an Android Enterprise enrolled device. Is this correct? Any workaround or deployment paths available / known for this? Talking about use cases for watches in the enterprise this should be a big concern? Maybe Lizzie jasonbayton ?

Hi Lizzie Specifically we do have an Android app with wear OS functionality. Our device fleet is using COPE to allow employees personal usage of those devices. If we issue watches to employees using those devices they must install the app on the personal profile to use the watch app on their watches. We always point out to employees to install corp. apps into the work profile but we would have to advise the same users to install this specific app into the personal profile because of the watch app. If users are not using their smartphone for personal use, they usually don't need to setup a Google account on those devices, we would have to instruct them to register an account, set it up on the smartphone and download the app from Google Play. Which is a very demanding process when it comes to hundreds of users. Samsungs offers a solution with Knox Manage, but in this case we cannot use the Google ecosystem for syncing data between phone and watch as the watch is in a single use mode. Our app devs would then need to implement their own "sync" infrastructure - which is also not a quick thing to do.

Android Enterprise work profile does not support wearOS yet | Android Enterprise and ChromeOS Customer Communities

14 Replies

Anthony
Level 1.6: Donut
2 years ago
PS. when you connect outlook companion apps in the pixel watch, it will just forward outlook notification to your watch. it does not the same as adding email account onto your Outlook app in your android watch wearOS.
ReeceK
Former Community Manager
2 years ago

Hello Anthony ,

Firstly, welcome to the community!

Out of curiosity, what wearable device do you own? I'm considering a purchase myself this year.

Regarding your question, while we can't disclose details of future development plans, for updates on Wear OS and Android Enterprise I recommend keeping an eye on the official Android Enterprise page or checking this community for the latest news.

As for your last question, are you saying you aren't able to get updates on your inbox and outbox? From my understanding, connecting Outlook companion apps will only forward notifications to your watch. At the moment, this is the only way to stay informed about new emails on Wear OS devices.

Thanks, Reece
Alex_Muc
Level 3.0: Honeycomb
2 years ago
Last year I was at the Samsung Mobile Business Summit in Germany. There, a company presented a modern version of home emergency calls. A home emergency call is an emergency call solution for elderly people who can call the emergency services immediately in an emergency. However, people are often unhappy using such solutions because they feel like a electronic ankle bracelet.
The company rents out smartwatches (including Samsung Watches with wearOS) and manages them centrally. This is a more modern solution that is much better accepted.

In principle, it would currently be possible to manage smartwatches, but these are likely to be OEM-specific features right now. Samsung smartwatches, for example, can be managed with Knox Manage: https://docs.samsungknox.com/admin/knox-manage/configure/profile/configure-profile-policies/wear-os-policies/

Wearables are usually used in companion mode with a smartphone. I would assume that there will be no standardized and comprehensive management solution for standalone wearable in the near future due to low demand.
Anthony
Level 1.6: Donut
2 years ago
ReeceK
i have samsung watch 5 and pixel watch 2. at the moment, with Outlook companion it only forward the notification.
It would be nice for Google to make wearOS to support work profile Android Enterprise so we can add our office enterprise email to the Outlook app in the wearOS (the watches).
- ReeceK
  Former Community Manager
  2 years ago
  
  Hey Anthony ,
  
  Thanks for your reply.
  
  Great watches, by the way! Do you primarily use them for work?
  
  I appreciate the feedback. I'll make sure to note this and bring it up in relevant discussions.
  
  Thanks again.
  Reece
Anthony
Level 1.6: Donut
2 years ago
ReeceK is there any update if google wearOS going to support work profile?
ondraandy
Level 1.6: Donut
2 years ago
Hello,
notifications from work applications worked 2 weeks ago without problem. But now it doesn´t work! Do you know what happend?
weberda
Level 2.2: Froyo
3 months ago
Hi

old thread but (still) the same situation. We are looking into an app development with an WearOS app for emergency situations. We are still testing, but my technical understanding of how the ecosystem with WearOS is built, the companion app will now show up on a paired watch if the app is installed in the work profile of an Android Enterprise enrolled device.

Is this correct?

Any workaround or deployment paths available / known for this?

Talking about use cases for watches in the enterprise this should be a big concern?

Maybe Lizzie jasonbayton ?
weberda
Level 2.2: Froyo
6 days ago
+1
- Lizzie
  Google Community Manager
  5 days ago
  weberda sorry I missed your earlier post around this. I wonder are you able to shared more around your use case here?
  
  Thank you,
  
  Lizzie
  - weberda
    Level 2.2: Froyo
    5 days ago
    Hi Lizzie
    
    Specifically we do have an Android app with wear OS functionality. Our device fleet is using COPE to allow employees personal usage of those devices. If we issue watches to employees using those devices they must install the app on the personal profile to use the watch app on their watches.
    
    We always point out to employees to install corp. apps into the work profile but we would have to advise the same users to install this specific app into the personal profile because of the watch app. If users are not using their smartphone for personal use, they usually don't need to setup a Google account on those devices, we would have to instruct them to register an account, set it up on the smartphone and download the app from Google Play. Which is a very demanding process when it comes to hundreds of users.
    
    Samsungs offers a solution with Knox Manage, but in this case we cannot use the Google ecosystem for syncing data between phone and watch as the watch is in a single use mode. Our app devs would then need to implement their own "sync" infrastructure - which is also not a quick thing to do.
jarmo_akkanen
Level 2.0: Eclair
5 days ago
Hey,

We also get occasionally questions from employees if wearOS would support WP.

Another issue are Notifications from Work Apps to watch for those companies who are running MS Intune as EMM.

Brief summary for those who managing your Android fleet with Microsoft Intune:
BYOD enrolled devices can get the notifications from Work Apps in to Watch.
COPE enrolled devices can NOT get the notifications from Work Apps in to Watch (Google offer Enterprise policy for this but Microsoft does not have implemented it in Intune yet).

DCR (Design Change Request) opened for Microsoft about COPE enrolled devices supporting notifications.
Initial case: "Notifications from work apps to smart watch on COPE" TrackingID #2502121420002302

There is a Enterprise policies available in AMAPI (Android Management API). There is a string called "personalAppsThatCanReadWorkNotifications" under Advanced Security Overrides. This is the configuration needed to allow notifications from certain work apps like Outlook, Teams etc... to smart watch. It's using the NotificationListenerService. https://developers.google.com/android/management/reference/rest/v1/enterprises.policies#advancedsecurityoverrides

thakns
Jarmo