In short, the 'running sync loop' part is nothing to worry about If you're using an Android Wear smartwatch, you may have noticed a slightly different connection message appearing in your notification tray of late. In short, instead of the standard "Connected" dialog, you'll get one saying "Connected, running sync loop." For most of the AC staff, the change seems to have come about with the update to the latest version of Google Play Services (version 6.5) in the past week. Elsewhere, users of Android Wear devices like the LG G Watch, G Watch R and Moto 360 appear to be split — some are seeing "Connected," while others get "Connected, running sync loop." So what's going on? Read on for a full explanation.

You'll get more info in your notification shade — and the Android Wear app — if Developer Options are turned on. It took us a while to track down exactly what was going on here, but here's the deal — for all intents and purposes, both messages mean the same thing. If you're seeing "Connected, running sync loop" instead of the simpler "Connected" message, it's because you've got Developer Options enabled on your phone. Turning on Developer Options seems to prompt Android Wear to display the more verbose connection message in the notification shade, assuming that you're actually a developer and need a bit more technical info. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines If you disable Developer Options on your phone using the toggle under Settings > Developer Options, then disconnect and reconnect your watch, it'll toggle back to the standard "Connected" message. (It's worth noting that the watch's Developer Options state seems to have no effect on this.) The Developer Options toggle also determines how much info Android Wear shares with you when your watch is disconnected, and makes some additional options available in the Android Wear app itself. With developer mode enabled, you'll periodically see "Waiting (x) seconds to retry connection" when your watch is out of range. Similarly, the "Report wearable bug" and "View wearable bug report" options in the overflow menu are only visible if you've got Developer Options toggled on.