Wear OS Update Adds Periodic Hand-Washing Reminder Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Hand washing is a very good thing to do for basic hygiene, whether COVID-19 exists or not. This simple habit allows people to protect themselves and others from possible passing on of dirt and germs that might get people sick or cause them to feel bad.

Health experts advise washing hands frequently with soap and running water for a specific period of time to remove germs and viruses that might be spread through contact with the human hand. This advise is given especially now that the 2019 novel coronavirus continues to spread throughout many locations around the world.

Google wants to help remind people to wash their hands properly so they can stay COVID-19 free, Android Police reported. The tech giant is doing this by releasing a Wear OS update that allows the Clock app to remind users to wash their hands on a steady interval.

Those who get the Wear OS v5.4.0 update will now receive alerts from the Clock app on their wearables, telling them to wash their hands thoroughly for 40 seconds. The reminder includes a note that tells people to use soap when washing, and a countdown that lasts for the said amount of time. A handwashing icon is shown on the screen, above a stop button.

The stop button, which looks like a big “X” inside a circle, simply does what it is meant to do. Users who can't wash their hands, or have already mastered the art of proper hand washing, can simply tap on it to stop the app from counting the seconds left.

The feature will remind users to wash their hands every three hours. Those who do not want to get buzzed can simply disable the notification by holding it down.

Handwashing song

This new feature comes after the company gave the Google Assistant the ability to help users wash their hands. The feature that was released earlier comes in the form of a unique song that the digital assistant sings to the user after hearing the command “Hey Google, help me wash my hands.” Those who want to hear the song can watch this video from Android Police.