Android Wear takes a cue from Apple Watch with interactive watch faces

Google today announced the availability of the first interactive watch faces for its Android Wear smartwatch platform.

"Now, with just a tap, your watch face can change its design, reveal more information, or even launch a specific app," wrote Android Wear Software Engineer Flavio Lerda on the official Android blog.

The interactive elements are similar to the complications available on the Apple Watch home screen.

Bits, one of the first interactive Android Wear watch faces provides up to seven complications on round watches, and up to four on square wearables. These can be used do display information such as unread emails, the date, weather, and step count. Tapping these complications will zoom in on it and reveal further details.

Sports accessories company Under Armour has released a simpler interactive watch face, allowing users to toggle between fitness information such as step count, calories burned and distance travelled.

Interactive watch faces have been given their own category on the Google Play Store. At time of writing, 21 interactive watch faces are available.