Runkeeper Abandons Wear OS App Over Persistent Bugs
Runkeeper removes its Wear OS application, citing a very buggy experience and limited developer resources. The company keeps its Apple Watch app active due to that platform's larger user base.
Runkeeper officially drops its Wear OS application as part of its version 9.13 release. The developer states that it is simply unable to deliver a quality experience on Google's smartwatch platform. Customer support clarifies that the software provides a very buggy experience that does not work consistently well for most users.
The company attributes this decision partly to having a small team with limited resources. While support notes that only a very small fraction of the community uses the Wear OS app, they emphasize that low usage is not the primary reason for the removal. This contrasts with other developers who typically abandon smartwatch apps solely due to low demand or because built-in notifications make dedicated apps unnecessary.
Runkeeper continues to offer its app on the Apple Watch, showing that the team is not opposed to smartwatch applications entirely. Instead, the decision comes down to meeting quality expectations and reaching a sufficient audience on a dominant platform. Consequently, runners who rely on Wear OS devices now have one less fitness tracking option available to them.