What you need to know
- The Pixel Watch series had a rough month when Wear OS 5 caused major issues like bricked devices and blank screens, and Google paused the rollout.
- The November update is rolling out now, continuing Wear OS 5 for the older models, while the Pixel Watch 3 only gets a security patch.
- Google also confirmed the next big update won’t arrive until March 2025.
The Wear OS 5 update is rolling out again for Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 users, meaning Wear OS 4 is on its way out.
The past month hasn't been easy for Google's Android smartwatches. When Wear OS 5 was pushed to the Pixel Watch 1 and 2, it caused some serious problems, like bricked devices and blank screens. Google quickly paused the update, but since then, there’s been little word on when things will get back on track for the Pixel Watch series.
Finally, the wait is over—updates are finally back for all Pixel Watch models. The November update (version AW2A.241105.012) is rolling out to the Pixel Watch 1, 2, and 3. While it marks the continuation of the Wear OS 5 update for the earlier models, it looks like the Pixel Watch 3 is just getting a regular security patch this time.
Google started rolling out Wear OS 5 to the original Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 in September, but had to pull the update shortly after users reported serious issues.
In a recent community post, Google confirmed the November 2024 update for all Pixel Watch models and dropped an unexpected tidbit. While detailing the update for all three Pixel Watch models, it also revealed that the next major update won’t come until March 2025, meaning a lengthy three to four-month break between updates for the series.
Verizon’s Pixel Watch models are getting in on the Wear OS 5 update too. For the Pixel Watch 2, the changelog notes that it fixes an issue where watch faces wouldn’t load after a reboot.
Not only does the update fix the watch face loading issue, but it also throws in the November 2024 security patch for good measure. The original Pixel Watch changelog doesn’t bother to mention this fix, but the update's back, so it seems like Google has finally sorted it out.
The Pixel Watch 3 is a solid step up from the first-gen model and a nice, though modest, upgrade from the Pixel Watch 2. If you're thinking about upgrading from the original, it's definitely worth the investment.
