What was Wear OS called when it launched in 2014?

Wear OS was called Android Wear when it launched in 2014.

Google announced Android Wear on March 18, 2014, as an Android-based platform for smartwatches and other wearable computers. The first commercial devices included the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, launched at Google I/O on June 25, 2014. Motorola’s Moto 360 followed in September, helping establish the early generation of Android-powered watches.

Android Wear connected closely with a paired phone, delivering notifications and supporting features such as voice interaction, watch faces, fitness tracking, and Google services. Its name emphasized the platform’s relationship to Android, although it was adapted for small screens and wrist-based interaction rather than ordinary phones and tablets.

Google renamed Android Wear to Wear OS in March 2018. The rebrand reflected support for a broader wearable ecosystem, including iPhone compatibility at the time, and avoided making the product sound limited to Android phones. Thus, “Android Wear” is the historically correct launch name, while “Wear OS” is the later name used for the same evolving smartwatch platform.