Tag: Pixel Watch

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Pixel Watch April 2023 update arrives with ‘security patches’

Following up on the late April patch for Pixel phones, Google is now rolling out a Pixel Watch update for April 2023.

Those excited about a big update will be disappointed, however. Google’s patch notes for the Pixel Watch April 2023 update is just one sentence: “The April 2023 software update includes the latest security patches for Pixel Watch users.”

That’s really not much to go on, but it’s also not a total surprise. After all, the March 2023 update for the Pixel Watch brought several improvements, including the long-awaited fall detection, support for mono audio, colour correction features, improved touchscreen sensitivity and more.

The update sports build number ‘RWDA.230114.010.G2’ and is available now, though, as usual, it will roll out in stages. In other words, if you don’t see the update on your Pixel Watch right away, don’t fret (not that you’re missing out on much).

To download the update, head to Settings > System > System updates on your Pixel Watch. Supposedly if you repeatedly tap the ‘Your watch is up to date’ screen, it will force the update, but I’ve never been able to get this work, so your mileage may vary.

Source: Google Via: Android Police

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Some Pixel Watch owners report backplate falling off

Like any Google product, the Pixel Watch has had its share of issues. But a new problem seems a bit more serious — some Pixel Watch owners had the watch’s backplate pop off.

So far, the problem doesn’t seem very widespread, with only a small number of reports showing up on Reddit. In the past two days, there were two posts about the problem on Reddit, with another replying in the comments to say they also had the issue.

Pixel Watch backplate falling off, | Images credits: u/milkkomson (left) and u/MelonHeadSeb (right)

There’s also no clear cause for the back plate popping off. Both Redditors claim they haven’t worn the watch swimming and generally avoided getting it wet. Some commenters suggested it could be due to sweat, humidity or heat fluctuations.

Whatever the cause, it seems those impacted so far have been able to resolve the issue, either through Google Support with a warranty-covered repair or by finding a repair shop. Again, the problem doesn’t seem super widespread, but if it does happen to your Pixel Watch, it seems like you’ll be covered.

Source: Reddit ‘milkkomson,’ (2) ‘MelonHeadSeb’

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Pixel Watch March update lets you check the time when your watch is off

Google’s March 2023 update is rolling out now for the Pixel Watch, bringing a handful of useful new features and fixes.

The headliner addition with the March 2023 update is fall detection, though technically, that started rolling out late in February. Fall detection has been a long time coming, but it should now be available for most people who live in supported regions. You can learn more about fall detection on the Pixel Watch here.

However, fall detection isn’t the only new feature in the March update (and it might not even be the most interesting). Another new feature is the ability to view the time on your Pixel Watch, even when the watch is powered down. You can do this by pressing the crown on your Pixel Watch.

Other tweaks include the ability to turn on power saving mode directly from the quick settings tile, the option to wake the screen by turning the crown, touch sensivitvty optimizations and more.

Google also noted that it’s working on a fix for an issue causing alarms to go off late or not at all. That should arrive “in the coming weeks” via a Play Store update to the Pixel Watch’s Clock app.

You can grab the update on your watch by heading into Settings > System > System updates. However, it’s worth noting that these updates often take time to roll out so if it’s not there right away, it should show up soon.

Source: Google Via: Android Police

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Pixel Watch helps Google reach second place in wearable market

Many have been waiting years for Google to finally release a smartwatch, and it looks like a lot of people feel the Pixel Watch was worth the wait.

Canalys, an industry analyst company, reports Google shipped 880,000 Pixel Watch units in Q4 2022, the first three months of the smart watch’s availability. According to Canalys, this brings Google to second place in the smartwatch market by giving it 8 percent share. While this is behind Apple’s massive lead of 28 percent, it’s still surpasses Samsung’s 5.9 percent share.

Image credit: Canalys

However, it’s important to point out Google doesn’t only offer the Pixel Watch. The tech giant’s wearable lineup also includes Fitbit devices, which comprise most of the four million units the company sold in Q4 2022.

Apple, on the other hand, shipped slightly under 14 million smartwatches, and Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi hit roughly three million units.

Canalys indicates that overall, wearable shipments have been dropping 18 percent year-over-year. Samsung saw a 35 percent drop, Apple a 17 percent drop and Google even experienced 25 percent drop. The Pixel Watch did boost Google’s sales by 16 percent, though.

With all of this in mind, the Pixel Watch app strangely only has 500,000 installs, according to the Play Store, which is less than the number of Pixel Watch units sold.

Source: Canalys Via: 9to5Google

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Google Pixel Watch finally gets fall detection

Following a false start and multiple rumoured launches, Google is officially pushing fall detection out to the Pixel Watch.

Fall detection, for those unfamiliar, works exactly as it sounds. If the Pixel Watch detects that the wearer fell, it will automatically call emergency services for you. Now that it’s out, we know a little more about how Google’s take on fall detection will work.

First up, as noted by 9to5Google, the Pixel Watch should be able to tell between a hard fall and exercise (such as burpees, which could appear similar to a fall). Part of that is the Pixel Watch’s ability to check for recovery from a fall. For example, if the wearer doesn’t move for 30 seconds after a hard fall, the Pixel Watch will show the ‘Fall detected’ screen. It asks whether the wearer needs help or if they’re okay — tapping the “I’m OK” prompt will dismiss the screen.

The Fall detected screen also counts down and will vibrate and sound an alarm. After a minute of no response, the Pixel Watch will call emergency services and use an automated message detailing your current location and what happened. If the wearer can do so, they will be able to talk with the emergency operator.

9to5 reports there are some differences in how fall detection works depending on your Pixel Watch variant. The Wi-Fi model needs to be in the range of your phone and connected with Bluetooth in order to place a call to emergency services. However, the LTE variant of the Pixel Watch can place the call without your phone.

Fall detection is rolling out today — Pixel Watch owners can check the companion app on their phone and look for a card promoting the new feature in the ‘Updates’ feed (tap the speech bubble in the top-right corner). A prompt should also appear in the Personal Safety app. Finally, the Pixel Watch needs to be on version RWD9.220429.073 or newer.

At the time of writing, fall detection hadn’t appeared on my Pixel Watch even though it’s on the latest software. As with most things, Google is likely staggering the update — I expect it will arrive sometime soon.

Source: 9to5Google

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Teardown reveals how Pixel Watch fall detection will work

Back when the Pixel Watch launched, Google promised it would add fall detection to the smartwatch “this winter.” Now, it seems the feature could be right around the corner as a teardown of the Pixel Watch app revealed details of how fall detection will work.

9to5Google performed the teardown of the Pixel Watch app version 1.1. As with any teardown, it’s important to remember that code snippets and other discoveries can be misinterpreted, especially when features are still in development. Moreover, things can change before launch.

With that said, let’s take a look at what 9to5 found in the teardown. First, the publication outlined the set-up process for fall detection, sharing text that explains the feature “works by using motion sensors on your Pixel Watch.” It also warns that “high-impact activities may trigger fall detection, and your watch can’t detect all falls.”

There are three steps to activate fall detection. This includes that when the Pixel Watch detects a hard fall, it will wait 30 seconds, then vibrate, sound an alarm and check if the wearer needs help. If the wearer doesn’t respond, the Pixel Watch attempts to contact emergency services. Finally, the smartwatch will play an automated message during the call that provides the wearer’s location and requests for help. If the wearer is able, they can also speak to the emergency operator. 9to5 also uncovered what the automated message will say:

“You are being contacted by an automated emergency voice service on behalf of a caller. The caller’s watch detected a possible fall, and they were unresponsive. Please send help. Their location is 12.039578 degrees latitude, -121.947872 degrees longitude. This message will repeat 3 times.”

Finally, 9to5 also found that the fall detection feature should be available in Canada and other countries, including Australia, France, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and the U.S.

It’s worth noting that fall detection started showing up for some Pixel Watch owners earlier this year. Since then, users have been eagerly watching for the feature to arrive, though it hasn’t yet. Hopefully, this means fall detection will arrive soon.

Source: 9to5Google

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February 2023 security patch rolling out to Pixel Watch now

On the heels of Pixel phones getting the February 2023 security patch, Google is rolling out the patch for the Pixel Watch.

This time around, Google’s moving a little faster than before — in January, the Pixel Watch update came about a week after the smartphone update. Unfortunately, there’s not much exciting in the update. Google’s patch notes simply note that the update brings “the latest security patches for Pixel Watch users,” and that’s about it.

The over-the-air (OTA) update is rolling out now and will continue over the next week, but you can reportedly force the update by heading into Settings > System > System updates and repeatedly tapping the ‘Your watch is up to date’ screen (this has never worked for me, but your mileage may vary).

Android Police notes that this update once again doesn’t bring fall detection to the Pixel Watch. Google previously promised the feature would launch in the winter, but it hasn’t arrived yet — except for some lucky users who saw the feature show up.

Source: Google Via: Android Police

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Fitbit’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications showing up on some Pixel Watches

Some Pixel Watch owners report getting access to the heart health ‘Irregular Rhythm Notifications’ feature despite it not being officially supported.

Pixel Watch owners took to Reddit to share the revelation, and Android Police and 9to5Google also picked up the story confirming some of their Pixel Watches had the feature. Even my Pixel Watch appears to have Irregular Rhythm Notifications. If you’re curious about yours, you can check by opening Fitbit and going to Discover > Assessments & Reports > Irregular Rhythm Notifications.

For most Pixel Watch owners, the Assessments & Reports page only shows ‘Wellness Report’ (if you’re subscribed to Fitbit Premium) and ‘Heart Rhythm Assessment,’ a manual version of the Irregular Rhythm Notifications.

This brings up an information screen with details about irregular rhythm notifications, noting that they can be a sign of things like atrial fibrillation (AFib). In short, the feature runs in the background, monitoring users’ heart rhythm data and will notify them if an irregular rhythm is detected.

Moreover, users can tap ‘View notifications’ to see a list of irregular rhythm notifications as well as the last time Fitbit analyzed data.

The thing is, these alerts aren’t officially supported on the Pixel Watch. Several Fitbit devices, including the Sense series, Versa series, Charge 3, 4, and 5, Luxe, and Inspire 2 and 3, support it — the Pixel Watch, however, doesn’t list support for the feature in support documents, product pages, or in specifications.

It remains unclear whether the feature is active for those who have it or if it’s showing up by mistake. Moreover, some Reddit users think that the feature is showing up in the Fitbit app for people who previously connected a Fitbit device that supports the feature. That would be true for me — I used several Fitbit devices on my Fitbit account prior to using the Pixel Watch — but it’s not certain if the two are connected yet.

Source: Reddit ‘Working-March‘ Via: 9to5Google, Android Police

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Google Pixel Watch gets minor January 2023 update

Google’s new Pixel Watch is getting another update, although it doesn’t seem like there are many major changes in this one.

As spotted by Android Police, Pixel Watch firmware build RWD9.220429.073 is rolling out but doesn’t appear to include any new features. Google’s official release notes detail one user-facing change: “Fix to address 3rd party watch faces turning off after 15 mins with always on display (AOD) enabled.”

Unfortunately, that means the update doesn’t enable anticipated features like fall detection, which already started appearing for a small number of users earlier this month. Google promised the fall detection feature would come this winter, so there’s still time for it to arrive.

Google notes the update will roll out “over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device,” so don’t fret if the update doesn’t appear immediately. Keep an eye out for a notification to appear on your Pixel Watch once the update becomes available. Alternatively, you can try and force the update by heading to Settings > System > System updates and tapping on the ‘Your watch is up to date’ screen.

Android Police notes this is the second consecutive monthly update for the Pixel Watch since it was released last year.

Source: Google Via: Android Police

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Up to 25 percent off Google Pixel 7, Pixel Buds and accessories

Google has taken some time to continue the discounts of some of its latest tech. If you’re interested in buying Android, or moving from iOS to Android, then check out the deals below.

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Source: Amazon Canada