IssueTracker

Thank you for this suggestion. We will pass this along to the development team and provide updates as they are available.

Would also like this. The Fossil Q Explorist has a large button and I'd like to be able to rotate the face so the button is facing my arm not my hand.

I’d like this as well. I sometimes press my LG’s button accidentally when doing yoga.

It makes so much sense that it should have been baked into the system from the start.

Thanks for the additional suggestions. We will pass these suggestions along to the development team and provide updates as they are available.

Just bought myself a watch with the new Wear OS.
Can't believe this feature is not there. On behalf of all left hand writers, this is an accessibility issue/feature I would have expected from Google.

I would also welcome this change - it's almost as if Google has no left handed programmers.

It makes using many watches unbearable because you will accidentally trigger Assistant all the time as your hand pushes against the button, and it also makes microphones on watches like the Q Explorist practically useless as it faces away from your mouth.

Maybe if there were left handed people represented this submitted feedback would be heard /and/ listened to..

Not much to say that hasn't been said. I accidentally reset my watch all the time because I can't flip the watch around!

Get this implemented ASAP!

Please prioritize this request for Wear OS implementation.

This functionality will be very useful and should be looked at as a basic function that should already be included with Wear OS.

Thanks.

I love having Google Assistant, but being unable to use the crown is a huge pain. I'm on the verge of just jumping over to the Samsung Gear Watch, since they use a rotating bezel instead of a crown.

This is an accessibility issue, not just a niche request. I'm surprised Google is just shrugging this off.

Honestly it wouldn’t be to difficult to add a UI option in settings that flipped the turned the screen. Maybe an hour to code. Please implement this soon so I don’t have to by a Samsung smart watch.

As a lefty who wears watches on my right wrist, I too would like this feature.  My Fossil Q Explorist watch can easily be flipped around so the crown is pointed toward my wrist. I hope you can make this happen soon! Many thanks.

I'm not a lefty but I do use my Fossil Sport Smartwatch on my right hand and I would like this option to be available.

would like to see this too

Dear Google, please prioritize this change for those of us who are left handed!!!  I agree this is an accessibility issue when talking about a device designed to live on the wrist.

I just got a fossil sport and I'm left handed so the rotating crown is useless to me on my right hand I'd really like to see this as well. ~20% of people are left handed and I have to imagine many if not most would flip the screen for easy button use if it was possible. It's not like this should be particularly hard, the screen on my last watch rotated automatically when it was on the charger and since this is android screen rotation is probably just a few settings away. Like someone else mentioned this is an accessibility issue, so put the option there or maybe under the display menu might make more sense.

This seems like an easy change and should be included as soon as possible.  Thank You.

I would also like to see this feature implemented. It's the only reason why I don't wear my watch on my right wrist.

I was surprised to learn that this doesn't yet exist. It was the first thing I tried to change after first powering my new watch. Please consider adding this soon.

Must have feature!!

I would like to wear my watch without having to change my mannerisms because the button on my Fossil gen3 Explorist is too sensitive. If I could flip the watch upside down I could avoid randomly activating google assist and rebooting my watch throughout the day.

Come on google, this should be one of the first things you did.

I agree with everyone above this needs to be a feature. For some of us it's just more comfortable to wear the watch in the opposite direction.

I thought I was losing my mind. Guess I'm not the only one. Please help us out and fix this issue. Really like my watch but makes it difficult to wear

I would love this feature. Even as a righty, having the crown on the side facing my wrist causes issues any time that I bend my wrist.

Please add this feature. Can't wear watch cause my wrist always hits side button.

I was surprised this was not an option already. This should be added.

I am just another left hander trying to use my watch the same way a right hander can already.

I agree with everyone above. This needs to be a feature

This would be tremendously helpful.

Please add this. It's so annoying. I constantly hit the button on the watch when I tilt my wrist.

Please implement, not left handed but buttons on watch dig into my wrist at time so want to flip watch round

Left handed and would make the watch so much more useable.

Another Lefty that would love this feature.

Hands up from another lefty! Sooner the better please

Another lefty vote. Please consider us :)

This was requested almost a year ago and has traction can we get and update if this is being implemented or planned to be implemented so we can either move on or wait?

Yes, agree. Need this feature. My button gets stuck often due to dirt and it doesn't pop out all the way. Everytime it gets accidentally pressed, the watch restarts. Within 6-12 hrs, my battery is drained.

This seems like a simple issue that should have been fixed a long time ago. Please address this.

I also want this change please

the originator of this request. I have moved on from android ware to another smartwatch that has this functionality. i may go back to android ware when it cares about the left handed people out there. or the people that want to ware the wristwatch on the right arm.

can i get a Verifier assigned to this task? also can that verifyer verify that android ware dosnt do 180 degree rotatition? e

It does not as of the most recent update. Posted a while back and still support this modification. Can we get an update from a Verifier?

This should be one of the basic features for the wear os to support different wearing styles of the various watch makers or users. Looking forward to receiving this feature in the upcoming updates.

This feature would make any hardware buttons much more useful for those who wear their watch on the right hand!  As it is right now, I mostly ignore the hardware buttons, but it makes me feel like I have a feature of my watch I cannot use because I'm left handed.

As a lefty I need to wear my watch on the right arm. Please, please, please keep us in mind with these products. I have the Fossil Q Gen 4 and I desperately need to be able to flip the UI and keep motion gestures functioning correctly (tilt towards me to activate screen). For the price we pay we should not be neglected. Thank you for your time and attention on this matter.

This is something really basic, I don't thinks is like rocket science to.enable the ability to rotate the screen. Please include it in a near update.thanks.

Yes please!  I keep hitting my middle button when I bend my wrist.  Flipping the screen and the watch would eliminate this major annoyance which has kept me from wearing my watch most days.

Seems like it should be a pretty intuitive feature as a part of a smartwatch; the ability to wear watch on either wrist, with buttons on either side!

Any news?

This is currently blocked by issue # 78638206

What does blocked mean?

I believe it means a private bug fix (i.e. unannounced or unreleased
version of Android/WearOS).

On Tue, Apr 16, 2019, 6:51 AM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

Or rather, fixing this is blocked by a different issue - that issue (78638206) is something we currently do not have access to (i.e. indevelopment update).

That would be great as I keep pushing the crown accidentally

I've read posts from both left and right handed folks who want to be able to flip their watch. I don't understand why a right handed person would want the knob facing up the arm but to each their own.

I would love this feature to be added. So I can see the screen when I use the knob or not have to have my wrist curled in an unnatural position.

question:

has anyone tried to look at the code? would it be hard I wonder?

+1 from another lefty.

Come on google so many people rely on you, add this option please. Or may be you guys enjoy listening to accidental google assistant uses?

Yes I agree I want my buttons on the left side of my watch I keep hitting the buttons it would be so easy just to allow screen rotation

It's been over 1 year. https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/78638206 is still blocking it.

This is an issue for any watch with buttons. Please fix.

Like many here, I really am surprised that there's no native way to make Wear OS crowns and buttons usable for left handers. Somewhere between 10% and 20% of the populace are left handed, and wear watches on the right wrist. Right-oriented buttons on watches like the new Fossil Gen 5 are useless if you wear your watch on the right wrist. This is literally the only thing keeping me from buying a Wear OS watch.

I agree. I would also like to see this feature as well

Please add the ability to rotate the UI - a feature that has been in Android for YEARS! I'm a righty that wears watches on my left hand, the protruding buttons and crown (Gen 5 Fossil) make it unusable on that arm!

This issue has been open for over a year. Does Google really care that little about Wear OS that this sort of basic functionality can not be added?

This is a much needed feature.

Finally a moved to tizen, they had the common sense to make ui rotation a
must have and not putting pressing buttons of the way of your wrist move.
Got rid of Wear OS for good

El lun., 9 sept. 2019 22:14, <buganizer-system@google.com> escribió:

Would also like this. The Fossil Q Explorist has a large button and I'd like to be able to rotate the face so the button is facing my arm not my hand.

Also experiencing this issue.  I turn the buttons on all the time with my wrist.  I changed a bunch of settings accidently.  It's a really bad design for this.  

and one more mate hoping for the same...

Just was about to order a Fossil Gen 5 but found that its dials are all designed for a right hand, hoping this feature gets added in: otherwise I’m not buying one.

Can’t believe this was never an issue in testing...1/9 people are left handed

+1 I am a lefty. I also switched back the watch to my left hand to get rid of watch tan on right. I hope to be able to switch the UI, because I keep opening google assist when I am leaning on my hand

I am completely giving up on buying a WearOS smartwatch only because it cannot rotate the UI upside-down for more friendly right arm usage. This is aggravated by the recent release of watches with a crown. Show some love to your (lefty) customers.

Please make this a thing for left handers.

Gen5 Fossil Carlyle. Button presses keep activating watch. Please make a 180 degree rotate.

I can't believe this hasn't been fixed yet. Would be such a nice feature.

Any update on this?  I am done with all Wear OS devices at this point, they are nearly unusable without this standard feature.

To everyone wanting this.

There's an app in the Playstore called Lefty wear os. It does exactly what
we've been asking for. I just got it so I'm not sure of any issues.

On Mon, Dec 30, 2019, 2:28 PM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

Pretty please rotate the screen option for lefties who wear on the right

Can't believe that this feature is still missing despite all of the requests on here dating back to July 2018. If manufacturers are placing buttons or crowns on their watches, then a rotation option definately needs to be baked into the OS. I myself use a fossil gen 4 on my left hand, and the google assistant very often gets activated by my hand pressing the crown accidentally. Not only does this effect battery life, but it is also possibly a security issue (the watch is unintentionally recording whatever conversations may be taking place). I'm probably wasting my breath at this point, but please google, address this oversight.
PS. The lefty program someone mentions in one of the posts does seem to work for me at the minute with the only issue being the input of the pin number (if you have it set up for NFC payments) upon first strapping the watch to your wrist (initially upside down).After this, everything seems to work fine inverted.

I would like this issue fixed as well... I can't see any good reason not to make wear os comfortable for those how wear watches on their right hand...

I support the suggestion because it very common to press the button flexing the left hand...

I've been watching this issue for a while and it looks like it's finally
been assigned, however it has a status of blocked by:  78638206
<https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/78638206> which I don't have access
to. I don't think we'll see much traction until that issue is resolved.

On Tue, Jan 21, 2020, 4:20 AM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

A built in "screen flip" needs to also coordinate with any rotating crown input as well.

Our engineering teams are working on this feature request. We will provide more updates as they become available.

in reply to #87

Dont... dont play us like this bruh text back so we know you are real.

Woohoo! Thanks engineering team 👍

Even for wearing it on my left wrist I prefer to have the crown dial and buttons facing my arm not my hand. I often press buttons just with hand movements and it kinda hurts against my hand.

Want this.

I would love to have this feature! I wear my watch on my left wrist and it would be much more comfortable if I could flip the screen's orientation. I have bruises on my hand from wearing it right side up, and I always trigger the assistant when I bend my wrist.

The buttons on the watch are literally causing bruises and scrapes on my left hand: https://screenshot.googleplex.com/fmoua6srGKe

Please develop this ability to change screen orientation !

If you Google what hand you should wear your watch on, the answer is the non-dominant hand. Please make it possible to do this without bruising my hand to heck on the jobs of my Fossil!

I constantly catch my Fossil Q Explorist middle button on my wrist and would love to wear the watch with the buttons facing my arm instead.

Need this

Two years and this hasn't been addressed yet?

When will this function be available?

like most google products this is being developed by the janitor

I cant believe this issue is still open. Yes there is a hacky app called 'lefty' that is offered as a solution, but IT DOESNT WORK WELL AT ALL

Hello, I can't believe that none of Google's developers can understand the need for this feature or don't have the time.  I think the problem with "lefty" is battery saving.  If there was an option to turn off battery optimization for individual apps, "lefty" would work.  "Lefty" runs continuously on the charger.

In "lefty", gestures don't work, pin unlock is upside-down, etc.

Shouldn't be forced to use a 3rd party app for a basic function on a watch
that cost $300+. Might as well buy a Samsung watch. Fossil and google wear
os should be pushing this out faster. We're on gen 5 and this has been an
issue since gen 1.

On Thu, Jun 11, 2020, 2:58 AM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

This is a must for your South pawed customers!

I feel like this is an issue I'd have with an Apple product. Something seemingly obvious that isn't natively available. I may try "Lefty" because I doubt this issue will be solved.

funnily enough apple watch shipped with this option. The problem with "lefty" is that before unlock the screen is unflipped so the pin code or pattern is upside down, also gestures are reveresed, and several watch faces I tested dont flip.

Bump - This feature needs to be added. It was a day one feature for Apple and is a must for many wear os users.

This is a very important feature. Currently I am unhappy with my Wear OS watch because I cannot wear it in the way that I would like to.

The wife and I have given up and just bought the Samsung Active 2. No gaint
crown to deal with. They also fix issues.

On Mon, Jul 27, 2020, 11:09 PM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

I have also abandoned WearOS and got the Apple Watch S5. The Apple Watch works amazing!

I would really appreciate this feature. Its been over 2 years since this issue was created; that makes me less likely to buy devices running WearOS in the future.

Put me down as another user lost because of this. I've already purchased a non WearOS device. To my fellow engineers on the WearOS team...have you completly given up? It's hard to understand how this wasn't available day1. It's even harder to understand why it wasn't addressed during the rewrite. And there's just no excuse for why it isn't being addressed now.  

Don't let this die. My google assistant never shuts up when I'm wearing gloves!
Let me get my buttons out of the way please!

This is one of those things where it's made clear that actual usability and accessibility doesn't matter.

More of a reason to switch to apple when it comes time to upgrade.

Google operate by Ferengi rules of acquisition, I guess.  Get their money, and pretty much don't care after that.

This is absolutely absurd that this hasn't been addressed at all yet. No response, no resolution, barely any acknowledgement of any kind. This kind of behavior is what keeps me from recommending google or google products anymore.

Devs if you keep ingoring us I might go back to Nokia.

Come on! Just do it!

I can't believe wear OS still hasn't addressed this. Looks like I'm going back to apple.

Critical feature in my opinion.  I keep draining my battery by pushing the button with my wrist.

A frustrating omission, a fix is definitely needed ASAP!

I'm left handed. Add the feature. ASAP!

Shame on you, Google.

Left handed. Please address.

As a left hander, I am negatively affected by this.

Come on Google!

Well I no longer have a WearOS watch, so I done care about this issue any more.

This, incidentally, was one is the main reasons I got rid of my watch.  And I won't be going back to WearOS either.

It's such a pity Google don't seem to care about us users.  I really hope it hurts them in they long run.

I got rid of the damn thing and just bought a Samsung watch. Well worth the money and it flips. Won't ever go back to a wearos and will warn others as well. Unsubscribing so good luck everyone else.

Just another person sincerely hoping to see this addressed. Any chance of an update at least? The last one was over a year ago and it seems like this is something that should have been addressed quickly.

Really annoying! Should be able to flip interface for better wearability on either wrist

Recently got a WearOS device and I fully understand the need for this. I cannot understand how this is still not addressed 3 years later.

I need this because when working out in constantly turning the watch off or accessing Google assistant

Requesting this feature as well! thanks! Need to be able to flip the watch to avoid pressing the buttons on the side!

Not sure how this hasn't been implemented yet.  There's a Play Store app called "Lefty" which tries to fix this problem but some features of the watch don't play nicely with it.  This needs to be added as a core accessibility option. Thanks!

Do we know if this feature is planned/included for Wear OS 3?  If so is it unrealistic to expect this to come to the current Wear OS?  It has been 3 years so I'm not holding my breath.

Would really love a 180 degree screen rotation so I can wear my Fossil Gen5 on my left wrist without depressing the crown button repeatedly.

this exactly ->

"Would really love a 180 degree screen rotation so I can wear my Fossil Gen5 on my left wrist without depressing the crown button repeatedly"

i am using Lefty as a workaround, but it breaks things like Compass and Tilt To Wake so it is not ideal.

Starred this a loong time ago, when I bought a fossil gen 5 and was surprised to not find the feature.
Now I can say the watch has been on its charging dock 99% of the time, precisely for this issue... I can't use the watch properly!
I either have access to basic features like wrist control, or being able to use the side buttons correctly (even though I can't use the buttons correctly, as they're on the wrong side of my wrist...), or I use Lefty and lose them, AND have a horrible battery life due to the app constantly having to be on and go over everything.

Why, WHY isn't this in wearOS yet? It's a basic accessibility feature that should absolutely be in every watch.
Why is this blocked by two private issues? What are them, why are they private? Why do we only get an incredibly unhelpful "don't worry, we're working on it" every year or so from a random @google.com account?
This issue only shows how Google doesn't care at all about the people using their products. I'm sad that I can't get to use what is an amazing product because of that.

It's about time Google stopped discriminating towards a large user base and put requests before profits

This is an accessibility issue that needs to be fixed!

This, all of this:

"Now I can say the watch has been on its charging dock 99% of the time, precisely for this issue... I can't use the watch properly!
I either have access to basic features like wrist control, or being able to use the side buttons correctly (even though I can't use the buttons correctly, as they're on the wrong side of my wrist...), or I use Lefty and lose them, AND have a horrible battery life due to the app constantly having to be on and go over everything."

It is absolutely a basic accessibility feature that you would think should be on every watch, and would be simple to implement without having to download a 3rd party application. Still holding my breath for this one, hoping one day a wearOS update will address this issue.

Our development team has implemented the feature you have requested and will be available on future new devices.

That isn't very helpful for those of us that have been tracking this issue
for the past few years. "Good news! You can use your smartwatch
ambidextrously now! Well, not your smartwatch, you have to buy a new one.
Yes, that's correct. Your smartwatch is still useless."

If you wanted to push people towards google wear devices, you're not doing
a very good job of it.

This is a simple feature that should be able to ve implemented on older
devices through a small patch.

On Tue 11 Jan 2022, 10:04 , <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote:

It took 4 years of request and when they finally implement it, they don't implement it on current devices.  I have to go buy a new watch to use a feature you should be able to send out as an update?
Awesome

FINALLY!
It doesn't help if I have to buy an entire new smartwatch just for this though. Please push an update to current smartwatches too!

You can just use force rtl layout but its very broken

It's a round screen, users should be able to orient it any way they want to. Not just 180 degrees, but 90, and 270 as well. There's no reason this can't be done on a round screen and this allows wearers to orient their screens any way they like.

I wear my smart watch on the inside of my wrist, to look at the screen I hold my arm horizontally, but if I could rotate 90 degrees I could view my watch screen with my arm vertical, which is a much more ergonomic way to interact with the device.

It's 2022, it's a watch, it's smart and if it's round it should be able to be rotated any direction at any preferred degree.

This should be standard for any round faced smart watch, square ones should offer 0, 90, 180 and 270 and this should not require outside software or apps, it should be standard built in to the main OS.

LOLOLOL "fixed. buy a new watch".

"Only for new devices."

This is a big issue with WearOS. All new, improved features are only for coming watches. We're talking about devices, which are not cheap and which is not upgraded every year or two.

Thank you for bringing needed feature! But I'm sad to see it's not coming on my older WearOS

On Fri, Jan 14, 2022, 1:50 AM <buganizer-system@google.com> wrote: