Google Open-Sources Pebble Smartwatch Software

Google on Monday open-sourced the operating system that powered Pebble smartwatches, making most of the code available to the public.

“This is part of an effort from Google to help and support the volunteers who have come together to maintain functionality for Pebble watches after the original company ceased operations in 2016,” the tech giant said in a blog post.

It’s no stretch to say the Pebble walked so today’s Apple Watches and Pixel Watches could run. Pebble originated from a Kickstarter that became the most funded campaign of its time, with its successor campaign for the Pebble Time remaining the second most funded to date.

However, the company became complacent as the very wearables boom it kicked off raged around it, eventually running out of money. Fitbit bought it out in 2016, mainly for its engineers and intellectual property. Google would later acquire Fitbit, with PebbleOS and other Pebble assets ending up at the tech giant.

Pebble products haven’t been officially supported for the better part of a decade, but the ecosystem has been maintained and kept alive by the vibrant community the company cultivated selling more than two million smartwatches over its lifetime.

Google releasing PebbleOS’s source code will make it easier for the community to keep supporting these smartwatches — and possibly even help create a successor. As it turns out, Google decided to open-source the software after Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky asked them to in hopes of creating a new Pebble-inspired wearable (more on that in a bit).

All of the source code for the base PebbleOS is now available on GitHub, save for proprietary bits Google had to pluck out to release the rest to the public. Removed parts include code for confidential things like chipset support, system fonts, Bluetooth functionality, and the heart-rate sensor driver.

“We are releasing most of the source code for the Pebble operating system,” Google said. “This repository contains the entire OS, which provides all the standard smartwatch functionality – notifications, media controls, fitness tracking, and support for custom apps and watchfaces – on tiny ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers.”

While the code in its released, incomplete state can’t be compiled or linked, it makes it possible for anyone to use the bones of PebbleOS to create smartwatch software, support existing Pebble products, or learn what made the Pebble watches as great as they were.

Google cautioned that it won’t be easy for someone to build a new firmware update using the open-sourced code — but the community that has been keeping Pebble smartwatches alive for so many years is nothing if not dedicated, so if anyone can do it, it’d be them.

Meanwhile, Migicovsky, who hails from Toronto, has set up an as-yet-unnamed new company to revive Pebble with an as-yet-unnamed new smartwatch that will carry on the legacy of the originals. He wanted to leverage the original PebbleOS code to fast-track development.

“It’s time to take matters into my own hands,” he said about the endeavour. “A small team and I are working on a new Pebble-like smartwatch that runs open source PebbleOS, has the same beloved features (plus some fun new stuff), and stays true to the core Pebble vision.”

Migicovsky’s new smartwatch will preserve the design and functionality philosophy of the OG Pebble watches while integrating some new, modern features. To top it all off, running on the now-open-source PebbleOS will allow it to be backwards-compatible with existing Pebble apps and watchfaces.