Google's New Smartwatches Are Already Facing A Big Problem With Downloading Apps

Steve Kovach/Business InsiderSamsung's Gear Live smartwatch.

New smartwatches running Android Wear, Google's version of Android made for wearable computers, can't download paid apps from the Play Store, according to a new blog post from Google.

Tech blog Android Police spotted the problem on Tuesday, reporting that it couldn't install paid apps on watches running Android Wear.

The issue, as it turns out, involves a security measure in which the Play Store encrypts paid apps to prevent piracy.

That feature, however, also made it impossible to extract and install these paid apps on Android Wear devices, according to Android Police.

Google has since issued a workaround to resolve the issue. Developers behind these paid apps now have to manually package the wearable APK, which Google explains in full on the Android Developer Blog.

In short, it means that developers that charge for their apps now have to do a little extra work to get their apps to work on Google's smartwatch platform.

The bug was spotted before these devices have reached the hands of most consumers. The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live just went on sale this week. Motorola's Moto 360 watch should launch in a few months.