Wear OS 4 Update Rolling Out for Pixel Watch
A week and a half after announcing that Wear OS 4 would be finally coming to the original Pixel Watch, Google is making good on its promise by beginning the rollout today. Today’s announcement on the October 2023 update was made via the Pixel Watch Help Community.
Software build TWD4.2301005.002 is rolling out for Pixel Watches running Wear OS 3.5 starting today. This update includes the October 2023 patch along with the Wear OS 4 upgrade, which includes many bug fixes, battery improvements, performance updates, and all the below new features for Pixel Watch users listed in the changelog:
Source – Google
Changelog
Watch transfer
- When you upgrade your Pixel phone, you can now easily transfer your Pixel Watch to your new phone without having to factory reset it. Your devices will be synced and ready to go.
Backup and restore
- Backup and restore helps you securely backup your data and settings from your old Pixel Watch so you can easily switch to a new Pixel Watch while keeping all of your data, settings and watch faces in place.
Google Calendar app
- The new Google Calendar app will be preinstalled on your Pixel Watch with this update. You can get event and task notifications, view 30 days of your schedule, easily navigate to event locations right from your wrist, and even mark tasks as complete. Plus, you’ll have more ways to access your calendar, from a tile or complication, to keep important info in plain sight.
Safety Features
- With your upgrade to Wear OS 4, you’ll get access to the latest and greatest in Safety – Safety Check, Emergency Sharing, and Emergency Info on your Pixel Watch 1! Keep your most important medical info easily accessible on your wrist or sent to participating emergency services(2) in the event of an emergency with Medical ID Info. Have peace of mind when you’re walking home alone at night, on an early morning run, or in any other situation where you need a little safety net, with Safety Check and Emergency Sharing.
Accessibility & customization
- New and improved customization capabilities, like a new text-to-speech engine supporting a faster, a more reliable TalkBack experience on your watch, bold text, new and improved magnification, and audio balance to adjust intensity of sound between right and left audio channels.
Enhanced notifications
- Notifications come with smart link recognition of phone numbers and addresses, allowing you to tap to call, message, or get directions. Embedded media previews let you quickly view images and GIFs without leaving the notification shade. These enriched alerts provide more information upfront so you can take action faster.
Google states that this update will be staged and continue over the coming weeks, so your mileage may vary as far as how soon your watch will receive it. Usually, users receive a notification on their watch once the OTA (over-the-air) update is ready, but you may also check manually by going to Settings > System > System updates directly on your watch.
This update has been a long time coming for owners of the original Pixel Watch who were left behind as other Wear OS smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy watches, were upgraded first. It also follows an update to the Google Pixel Clock app on both the phones and the watch that tied in alarm syncing between both devices.
