Wear OS starts reminding you to wash your hands
Your smartwatch might help you avoid COVID-19.
You’re likely all too aware that you need to wash your hands often to reduce the chances of contracting COVID-19, but Google is happy to remind you all the same. Wear OS has received a 5.4.0 update that will remind you to wash your hands every three hours, and will start a 40-second timer to make sure you spend enough time scrubbing (the CDC recommends at least 20 seconds). It’ll even insist that you use soap, in case you were tempted to rely on hand sanitizer or plain water.
As Android Police notes, you can turn off this reminder by pressing and holding on the notification. You don’t have to worry about your smartwatch bugging you when you’re in the middle of a TV marathon. Besides, you need to wash beyond regular intervals — every time you prepare food, for example. This may help jog your memory, but it’s ultimately up to you to get in the habit of washing whenever you perform many daily tasks.
