Google's Wear OS adds reminder to wash hands to prevent COVID-19
It'll also set a 40-second timer.
Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Wash your hands, people.
Your Google smartwatch will now ping you to wash your hands every three hours to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The new feature is part of a Wear OS update, Android Police reports.
After the alert from the clock app is opened, a 40-second timer will begin, with a reminder to use soap. When the timer is done, the app will inform you that another alert to wash your hands is coming in three hours. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend washing your hands for at least 20 seconds.
You can disable the reminder by holding down on the notification.
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