Google usually gifts us a new Android system around Halloween, but for Android Wear smartwatch owners, today is Christmas.

Android 5.0 Lollipop on Your Wrist

First thing, let's get to the best new stuff for Android Wear smartwatches: Custom watch faces with an official watch face API.

Put in a less technical way, Google just made hacking watch faces for custom layouts an officially supported feature of Android Wear with the Lollipop Update -- which should be rolling out OTA and available for download within the next week or so to all smartwatches running the OS as of Wednesday.

"Watch" Google's Preview of Custom Faces for Android Wear


Hacking watch faces has been a popular pastime for curious users of the new smartwatch-built version of Android, but now it should be way easier.

And with this new option, Google is also launching a new Play Store section for Android Wear watch faces.

It'll be part of the newly updated Android Wear smartphone app as well, so users can easily find their favorite custom watch faces from third-party developers and download and transfer them right to their smartwatch.

Get the update from Google's Play Store here. And don't worry if you don't have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your smartphone yet. It's not required -- keep reading for more details.

Google's "Android Dress Code" blog post explains the company's reasoning behind its official Watch Face API release:

Deciding what to wear is a really personal thing -- it's one of the ways you show people what you're about. Wearable technology is no different, so Android Wear offers a wide selection of apps and watches to suit your taste. It's about expressing who you are, however you want, right on your wrist.

The post concluded with the pun-full, "So by all means: wear what you want."

Android 5.0 Lollipop for Wear: Other New Features and Fixes

While Google's announcement doesn't specifically mention this, the new update coming to Android Wear is, more or less, officially an Android 5.0 Lollipop update release for smartwatches.

And it will work on your smartwatch even if your phone hasn't gotten an Android L update release date yet. In fact, it'll work even if you're never eligible for Android 5.0. From the detailed Android-Developers blog post:

Over the next week, the latest release of Android Wear, based on Android 5.0 and implementing API 21, will roll out to users. All Android Wear devices will be updated to Android 5.0 via an over-the air (OTA) update.

The update allows users to manage and configure watch faces in the Android Wear app on their phone, and install watch faces from Google Play. Any handheld device running Android 4.3 or later will continue to work with all Android Wear devices.

The new Android 5.0 Lollipop for Android Wear also brings a few other perks and bug fixes, according to Ars Technica:

Easier Navigation:
● Quickly bring a card back if you've accidentally dismissed it
● When you tap on the watch face, recently used actions now appear at the top of the list
New Modes:
● Quickly access various settings by swiping down from the top of the screen
● Theater Mode lets you keep the screen off and mute vibrations when you're in a dark room
● Sunlight Mode temporarily boosts the screen to maximum brightness
App Improvements:
● Easily block notifications from any app, directly from your watch
● View your apps' usage of battery and storage (in the Android Wear app)

Release Date, Availability for Smartwatches

As mentioned, don't worry if you don't get the update immediately. The update will take a couple of weeks to fully roll out OTA to smartwatches.

Interested in Android Wear smartwatches now that Google is rolling out custom watch faces and Android 5.0 Lollipop for the wearable OS? You've got to get one of the following six smartwatches to get Android Wear:

ASUS ZenWatch

LG G Watch

LG G Watch R

Moto 360

Samsung Gear Live

Sony SmartWatch 3

Does the Android Lollipop update with custom watch faces make Android Wear smartwatches more appealing to you? Let us know in the comments!