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I can't find any documentation on Android Wear that shows how to create an app that leverages the fact that some watches (like my Samsung Galaxy Gear) can now connect directly to the internet via wi-fi when the phone is not around.

I have a few apps that generate https requests to access a REST service and I would like to know if these can be directly called from a Wear app connected to wi-fi (no phone).

Similar questions don't seem to answer this:

Direct internet connection on Android Wear?

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26062487/android-wi-fi-direct-persistent-connection

Android: Establish "Wi-Fi Direct" connection with networked devices

My tests on a Wear emulator tethered to an internet enabled Phone emulator show:

java.net.UnknownHostException: Unable to resolve host "api.xxx.com": No address associated with hostname

But of course there's no direct wi-fi connection on the watch emulator so my next step is to try on a real watch and phone.

My suspicion is that Android Wear's data API handles this transparently so direct http requests seem impossible.

Best, thanks in advance for your help.

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German
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2 Answers2

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Even if Android 5.1.1 support Wi-Fi Feature. Android Wear on Wi-Fi: Using a smartwatch without a phone nearby

You should stick to the Data Layer API, you cannot send http request directly from watch. Fetch internet data from the phone, then transfer it to watch with Data Layer API.

You can see this Does Android Wear support directly access the Internet?

And this document Always-on and Wi-Fi with the latest Android Wear update

Community
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Hsiao yen
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  • That forces a tethered approach. I'm trying to leverage the watch with wifi while untethered. But if you say it's not possible then I'll have to live with that! – German Jul 07 '15 at 10:31
  • It is possible to have direct connections to the Internet w/o using the phone. – decades Oct 03 '15 at 20:36
  • It is possible to make direct requests from the smartwatch!!! It may not be the better approach but it is possible!!! – cdlc Jan 04 '16 at 17:11
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From the last update its possible to make http requests over wifi using android wear. You can even connect a bluetooth headphone to it to use with some streaming app.

While on wifi, if your mobile phone is connected to the internet too (dont need to be the same wifi, can be even 3g) it will act the same way it would when bluetooth connected yo our phone, but with its own internet access.

This dont mean apps will change their behavior, because most of them are coded to make the requests from your phone, but if you have an app that make direct networks requests, it will send them from your watch without advising or needing your phone.


How to do networks requests on android wear

Just use the same network requests libraries you would use on a normal Android mobile application, like volley, retrofit, okhttp. The code is exactally the same, and by the way, any Android Mobile library works with Android Wear too.

Renato Probst
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  • If you paste a code snippet on how to make an http request over wifi using android wear (and without need of the phone) I'll mark this answer as the correct one! – German May 02 '16 at 12:37
  • Hi @German, i'll put an explanation about it, but theres no "android wear" code, you just use any http library you would use on mobile, like retrofit, volley, even picasso (for images) will work. – Renato Probst May 02 '16 at 19:22
  • Hi. Ok, but if I can run your code snippet in my Galaxy Gear then it's Android Wear compliant code :) – German May 04 '16 at 22:54