How Tuckbird works with your watch
Tuckbird saves a clip from a link on your Android phone. WristReel puts it on your Wear OS watch. Here's what you need and how it fits together.
What you need
- An Android phone with Android 8 or newer.
- A Wear OS 3 or newer watch paired with that phone.
- WristReel from Google Play. It's a paid app; one purchase covers the phone and the watch app. Open it once on the phone to finish the watch setup.
- Tuckbird, free from this site. See Install.
From a link to your wrist
- Share a public postIn TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, tap Share, then More, then Tuckbird. Or tap a video link someone sent you in a chat, once Tuckbird is set to open those links.
- Tuckbird saves itThe video is downloaded to Tuckbird's own storage on your phone. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
- WristReel sends itTuckbird hands the video to WristReel, which copies it to your watch and starts playing it. If you left Tuckbird, tap its "Ready: tap to send to your watch" notification, on the phone or on the watch (then Open on phone).
- Watch it offlineThe clip is stored on the watch, so it plays without the phone nearby.
Questions
Why isn't Tuckbird on Google Play?
Google Play's rules don't allow an app that saves videos from other websites the way Tuckbird does. So it is offered here instead, as free, open-source software you can inspect and build yourself (source code).
Does WristReel do this by itself?
No. WristReel plays videos that are already on your phone, such as clips in your gallery or videos another app shares to it. Tuckbird is the part that saves a clip from a link.
Which watches work?
Watches with Wear OS 3 or newer, paired with an Android phone. That includes Galaxy Watch4 and later and every Pixel Watch. Watches with other systems don't run Wear OS apps.
Do I need anything installed on the watch?
Only WristReel's watch app, which comes from Google Play like any other watch app. Nothing is sideloaded on the watch.
Which posts can it save?
Public posts only. Tuckbird never asks for your passwords, so private, login-only and story posts can't be saved. Only save videos you have the right to save, and respect the creator and the platform's rules.
Is it safe to install?
Tuckbird's full source code is published, every release is signed with the same key (fingerprint on the install page), and you never need to turn off Play Protect. It uses internet access, notifications, a background task that keeps running while a video saves, and permission to install its own updates after you agree. It can't read your notifications, messages, contacts, photos or location. See Privacy.
Does it cost anything?
Tuckbird is free, with no ads and no account. WristReel is a paid app on Google Play.