After months of beta, WhatsApp has released its first official Wear OS app. This means that anyone with an Android smartwatch will be able to download WhatsApp and communicate with friends and family without a cell phone. [WhatsApp for Wear OS was announced at Google I/O in May, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced (via TechCrunch) that the app will be rolled out worldwide.

Additionally, all of this will work even if the connected phone is out of range, which will be especially useful for those with LTE-equipped smartwatches like Google's Pixel Watch.

Interestingly, this gives Wear OS a distinct advantage over the Apple Watch. At the moment, Apple's smartwatches lack a native WhatsApp app, which limits what iPhone owners can do with their wrists.

All they can actually do is check and reply to incoming messages if their notification settings are set up correctly, with no option to initiate a conversation or call from their wrist Apple Watch users are unlikely to switch platforms for just one app.

Android.

Not all Android-friendly smartwatches have Wear OS, but there are still plenty of options if you want WhatsApp on your wrist: the Google Pixel Watch, of course, and Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 as well.

If you're a WhatsApp loyalist and want to use your watch instead of your smartphone, I'd suggest setting it up on Google Play.