The Google Pixel Watch 2 and previous variants are now receiving Wear OS 5, the most recent wearable operating system (OS) for Android-based wearables including smartwatches.
The update, first introduced in May at the Google I/O 2024 developer conference, gives Pixel smartwatches recording capabilities in addition to improvements made to the Watch Face Format in collaboration with Samsung and a grid-based app launcher. It also includes updates for important security vulnerabilities and system improvements.
Google said in a blog post that the September 2024 software over-the-air (OTA) update for the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch, which are now running Wear OS 4 and 3.5, respectively, will contain an update to Wear OS 5.
Depending on the provider and device, its progressive distribution will continue over the course of the next week. Users’ smartwatches will notify them when the new software is available and encourage them to update to it.
According to Google, the model numbers for the Wear OS 5 upgrade on the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch are AW2A.240903.005.A1 and AW2A.240903.005.A2, respectively. The smartwatches will receive “new features” after the update.
It mentioned the grid-view launcher, better camera controls, and Pixel Recorder functionality coming to Google’s earlier smartwatches, but it did not go into detail about what features might be available. Users will therefore have the choice to see their apps in a new grid-based structure, which is an addition to the list-based layout that was the only one offered up until now.
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Performance improvements and bug fixes will also be included in the September 2024 software update; further information on the latter can be found on Google’s Pixel Watch Security Bulletin page.
Support for watch faces created without using the Watch Face Format (WFF) available in the Google Play Store is also discontinued in the Wear OS 5 update for smartwatches running Android. On smartwatches running the updated firmware, watch faces will only be available that match Google’s quality and performance standards. This change is in lieu of WFF’s introduction which Google unveiled in 2023 in partnership with Samsung.
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