Wear OS 5 is now rolling out to Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2

For those of you with the original Pixel Watch or the Pixel Watch 2, the wait for Wear OS 5 is officially over. Following hot on the heels of the Pixel Watch 3 launch, Google has brought Wear OS 5 to both the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. It’s a pretty major update (based on Android 14) that is arriving alongside the (slightly-tardy) September 2024 security patch, and it is set to bring a slew of enhancements and bug fixes to your wrist. Here’s a quick look at what’s new:

• New Features: Expect a handy media output switcher, a privacy dashboard in settings, and a screenshot detection API for apps.
• Watch Face Format v2: This update introduces Flavors (preset configurations), weather conditions, a heart rate system data source, and two new complication types for even more watch face customization.
• Bug Fixes & Performance Updates: Google promises “numerous” bug fixes and performance enhancements to smooth out those rough edges.

Once your Wear OS update is complete, don’t forget to dive into the Play Store to update all your apps for even more improvements. First up, you’ll notice the new grid-style app launcher that feels much easier to navigate. Next, you’ll find improved Camera controls for those times when you need to capture a moment quickly from your wrist.

And finally, the Pixel Recorder functionality is now at your disposal, ready to capture those brilliant thoughts and ideas on the fly and sync them back to your Google account for transcripts and notes later. Side note: the new, detailed run metrics Google debuted for Wear OS 5 are still exclusive to the Pixel Watch 3 for now.

Get your update now

The rollout is happening in phases, so keep an eye out for that notification on your watch. Impatient types can try tapping the ‘Your watch is up to date’ screen in Settings > System > System updates a few times to trigger the download. Either way, it’ll get to you soon and should be a great update to all of Google’s watch hardware.