Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS • Hacker News Board

Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#1

Post by urip » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 12:09 PM UTC

TLDR: Wear OS app for Samsung Galaxy Watches and Google Pixel Watches to connect them with iPhones, after Samsung and Google ditched iOS support back in 2021.

Hi all!

I recently switched to an iPhone and became frustrated when my Galaxy Watch was rendered useless, due to Google's and Samsung's decision to cut off iPhones from Wear OS back in 2021. I then started a project to create an alternative integration.

I launched it 3 weeks ago as a Google Play app for Wear OS watches, most prominently for the Samsung Galaxy Watch and Google Pixel Watch. With this app, these watches can now connect to iPhones to control notifications and take phone calls.

The response has been fantastic so far, with nearly 1k downloads and a steady growth rate. Should the demand continue to rise, I intend to expand the integration with additional features.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback, and answer any questions you might have. Thanks for your support!

--

Merge is also on ProductHunt today: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/merge-connecting-wear-os-t...

Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS
merge.watch

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#2

Post by post_break » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 12:54 PM UTC

Excellent. I'm 100% Apple watch right now, but for a while the Samsung offerings were just so good. Rotating bezel, unlimited watch faces, intuitive UI. Being able to rock a wear OS watch on iOS is really nice. I didn't know Samsung pulled support because I was using the WearOS app.

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#3

Post by MrThoughtful » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 1:16 PM UTC

Can this also help getting data from a Samsung watch?

I don't like to be tracked. So when a device does not work without initializing it via an app, I install the app on a secondary phone and then delete it again. But to get my data from my smartwatch, I need the Samsung Health app. And that one refuses to install if the phone does not have a SIM card inserted.

Is there a way around this, so I can get my data without being tracked by Samsung?

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#4

Post by ThePowerOfFuet » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 1:32 PM UTC

MrThoughtful wrote: post #3

Can this also help getting data from a Samsung watch? I don't like to be tracked. So when a device does not work without initializing it via an app, I install the app on a secondary phone and then delete it again. But to get my data from my smartwatch, I need the Samsung Health app. And that one refuses to install if the phone does not have a SIM card inserted. Is there a way around this, so I can get my data without…

This should have been a huge red flag that your health data (!) should not be given to Samsung in any way.

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#5

Post by urip » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 2:33 PM UTC

post_break wrote: post #2

Excellent. I'm 100% Apple watch right now, but for a while the Samsung offerings were just so good. Rotating bezel, unlimited watch faces, intuitive UI. Being able to rock a wear OS watch on iOS is really nice. I didn't know Samsung pulled support because I was using the WearOS app.

True! It has a more classic round style which many people prefer, myself included; and yes, Samsung pulled support since the Galaxy Watch 4 and later.

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#6

Post by mdorazio » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 2:33 PM UTC

Is this just for notifications and calls? One of the worst parts of having a Galaxy watch and an iPhone is that I can't do basic things like sleep tracking because apparently those need app pairing.

For those wondering, I got the Galaxy watch specifically for the biometric sensor which is far more functional than the one on Apple Watch.

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#7

Post by urip » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 2:36 PM UTC

MrThoughtful wrote: post #3

Can this also help getting data from a Samsung watch? I don't like to be tracked. So when a device does not work without initializing it via an app, I install the app on a secondary phone and then delete it again. But to get my data from my smartwatch, I need the Samsung Health app. And that one refuses to install if the phone does not have a SIM card inserted. Is there a way around this, so I can get my data without…

Future versions of the app will sync health data to Apple Health, so most probably could help you with that. You can follow us on Twitter to get updated once that happens: https://twitter.com/MergeWatch

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#8

Post by skavi » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 3:03 PM UTC

How do you support the Pixel Watch 2 when it doesn’t officially exist yet?

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#9

Post by post_break » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 3:50 PM UTC

mdorazio wrote: post #6

Is this just for notifications and calls? One of the worst parts of having a Galaxy watch and an iPhone is that I can't do basic things like sleep tracking because apparently those need app pairing. For those wondering, I got the Galaxy watch specifically for the biometric sensor which is far more functional than the one on Apple Watch.

Functional? I mean it does temperature, heart rate, oxygen, and body composition**. The asterisks are because let's face it, it's not very accurate. A cheap $30 scale will guess your body fat, bone density, etc just as "accurately". A dexascan is what I'd suggested over impedance guessing. To call the biometric sensor far more functional than the Apple watch is a big stretch, especially when you see actual comparisons with real data.

Re: Show HN: Merge – Connect Google Wear OS to Apple iOS

#10

Post by KMnO4 » Fri, Sep 01, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

post_break wrote: post #9

mdorazio wrote: post #6

Is this just for notifications and calls? One of the worst parts of having a Galaxy watch and an iPhone is that I can't do basic things like sleep tracking because apparently those need app pairing. For those wondering, I got the Galaxy watch specifically for the biometric sensor which is far more functional than the one on Apple Watch.

Functional? I mean it does temperature, heart rate, oxygen, and body composition**. The asterisks are because let's face it, it's not very accurate. A cheap $30 scale will guess your body fat, bone density, etc just as "accurately". A dexascan is what I'd suggested over impedance guessing. To call the biometric sensor far more functional than the Apple watch is a big stretch, especially when you see actual comparison…

I never understood those scales.

Let’s imagine they have a perfect formula which can correlate electrical impedance to fat %.

But the electrodes are on your feet, so the very best it can measure is the shortest path up your leg and down the other side. Less than half your body.