Now You Can Use An Android Smartwatch With Your iPhone Thanks To This Hack

We believe that the restriction on the brands and models of smartphones that work with certain smartwatches is what’s holding this amazing creation back from getting mass attention. A software developer by the name of Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh who lives in Jerusalem has come up with a hack that allows you to display iPhone (iOS 8) notifications on a Moto 360 that is running Android Wear.

Mr. Abu Garbeyyeh made use of the Apple Notification Center Service (ANCS) – an iOS feature – to create this hack. In the developer library, Apple explains, “The purpose of the Apple Notification Center Service (ANCS) is to give Bluetooth accessories a simple and convenient way to access many kinds of notifications that are generated on iOS devices. The ANCS is designed around three principles: simplicity, efficiency and scalability. As a result, accessories ranging from simple LEDs to powerful ‘companion’ devices with large displays can find the service useful.”

This approach has been used by the Pebble smartwatch for pairing up and showing notification on iPhones and iPads. In the video that has been posted by our hacker, the Moto 360 is being paired with an iPhone. The notification appears on iPhone in the video and then later on, the notification is relayed to the smartwatch.

Mr. Abu Garbeyyeh came up with an Android application kit (APK) that has been designed with Android’s Bluetooth software at its core. This app was then used to connect, wirelessly, to the ANCS on the iPhone. This approach allowed him to work without jailbreaking the iPhone.

Mr Abu-Garbeyyeh said on Twitter, “I’m not sure whether to make it open source or not yet, but it’s an APK that needs to be installed on the watch.” Watch the following video to see how it works!