Hacking my Android Watch to work with my iPhone

If you pair your Wear OS watch with an iOS phone, you lose out on a lot of Android functionality. I found a way to sideload watch faces onto my Moto 360 smartwatch, despite iOS limitations.

The Challenge

• iOS lacks native Android watch face support
• Pairing restricts one phone at a time; unpairing factory resets the device
• The Moto 360 lacks a computer interface; Bluetooth through the paired phone is the only built-in option
• Limited preset watch faces available
• Device cannot upgrade to Wear OS 2.0

Step 1 — USB Cable Creation

I discovered hidden pogo pins beneath the watch’s wristband.

After two failed attempts with homemade connectors, a CAT5 connector provided the necessary balance between rigidity and flexibility to maintain stable connection.

Step 2 — Sideloading

Using minimal ADB and Motorola USB drivers, I successfully connected to the watch.

I pushed custom APK files directly to the watch, installing three watch faces: Fiore, Moods of Norway, and Mysterious Forest.

The Result

The project successfully extended the watch’s lifespan with personalized customization rivaling newer smartwatches. A subsequent connection issue resolved after re-pairing and redownloading applications.