The DIY era of smartwatches has begun - Google and Apple already have me hooked

Two recent updates aim to make automating device tasks easier: Google announced Create My Widget for its smartwatches, and Apple unveiled Describe a Shortcut as part of iOS 27. I first turned to Shortcuts to open my gym app after leaving the subway; setting it up required creating a “Do” command, then adding an Automation and linking a “When” to that “Do” — workable but not intuitive for someone new to automation.

Apple’s new option lets you describe a Shortcut and Apple’s AI does the bulk of the brunt work, arriving alongside a revamped, more capable Siri. Google’s Create My Widget, launching with Wear OS 7, makes widget creation as simple as describing what you want on your watch and is powered by Gemini Intelligence.

smartwatches, google, apple, create widget, describe shortcut, ios 27, wear os, gemini intelligence, siri, automation