Google Pixel Watch gets December update with new firmware and fixes

Following the new features announced yesterday for Pixel devices as part of the December 2022 Feature Drop, Google has also released its monthly software update for the Pixel Watch. This will be the second Pixel Watch update since the device’s launch, and while the first update addressed mostly its Fitbit integration, this newest update is broader and tackles issues with hands-free calling, adds an easier way to access Battery Saver mode, addresses bugs with some watch faces as well as layout issues with Fitbit exercises. Here’s everything on the list:

Calls

• Fixes and improvements for hands-free profile (HFP) calling.

Settings

• Battery saver enable/disable single tap support has been added.

Watch Face

• Fix for issue where watch face complications occasionally were not displaying correct data.

Fitbit Exercise

• Fix for issue where exercise layout was sometimes cut off.

The update applies to both the WiFi/Bluetooth and LTE models of the Pixel Watch with version RWD9.220429.070 globally and RWD9.220429.070.J1 in Japan and Taiwan. It will be pushed to all supported Pixel Watch devices that are running Wear OS 3.5 and the rollout will happen in stages throughout the course of this week and the next. The update can be initiated from the watch’s settings menu by going to System > System updates.

Looking at the announcement post in the Pixel Watch Community, it’s hard to ignore the user comments expressing disappointment at the small list of fixes and features the watch has received thus far. One of the most requested features for the watch seems to be syncing the watch’s Bedtime Mode and the Pixel phone’s Bedtime Mode, which are inexplicably separate from each other. Hopefully, this is something that is in the works and will be part of a future Pixel Feature Drop.