Skip to main content

Google’s latest Pixel Watch update is kind of a mess

Someone wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2 with a yellow/green fabric band.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Google has released the Wear OS 5 update for the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. However, some users have experienced issues with the update. Luckily, there could be an easy fix.

According to Reddit and Google’s support forums, the issue arises right after Wear OS 5 is installed on the watch. From there, some users see a blank display with a Bluetooth disconnected icon on the bottom.  To resolve the issue, Android Police and The Verge recommend that users perform a fast boot reset. According to Google, you hold down the crown on your watch for 3 seconds, then scroll down and tap Restart.

Recommended Videos

If the previous solution doesn’t fix the issue with your watch, you can attempt a hard reset. To do this, press and hold the watch crown and the side button simultaneously for about 20 seconds. After doing this, you should see the Google logo appear on the screen. Are you still having problems? TechRadar recommends performing a reset from FastBoot, which is somewhat complicated.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

If you haven’t upgraded your Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2 to the Wear OS 5 update, waiting until Google pushes out a fix might be wise. Assuming this is a significant issue affecting many Pixel users, we can expect a fix to arrive sooner rather than later.

Someone wearing the Google Pixel Watch 3, showing the app drawer.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Wear OS 5, which comes preinstalled on the recently released Pixel Watch 3, includes several feature updates and fixes. As we previously noted, one of the most significant changes is the grid-based app launcher, which visually resembles launchers from other Wear OS manufacturers. You can choose between this grid-based launcher or the list-based app launcher available on previous Wear OS versions.

The Wear OS update includes Watch Face enhancements, including flavors, goal progress, and complication types. Weather conditions and a heart rate system data source have also been added. Finally, Wear OS 5 offers more detailed running metrics. This includes ground contact time, stride length, vertical oscillation, and vertical ratio metrics.

Overall, Wear OS 5 is a solid update — though it’ll be much better once these bugs are ironed out. Here’s to hoping that happens soon.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Google’s December 2024 Pixel Drop just arrived with a boatload of new features
Someone holding a Google Pixel 9.

It’s December, and that means a big new update for your Android phone, as well as even more goodies if you’re a Google Pixel user.

Google is officially rolling out its December 2024 Pixel Drop, and there's a lot to go over. From new features for all Android users to a few things exclusive to Pixels, here's the lowdown on what's new.
New features for all Android users

Read more
The Google Pixel 9 may soon get a powerful phone call feature
Someone holding the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, showing the back of the phone.

With the Google Pixel 9 series, Google offers a feature called Call Notes in the Google Phone app. Powered by Gemini Nano, the feature automatically generates call summaries and captures points discussed. Thanks to artificial intelligence, that feature could soon be expanded.

According to Android Authority, an APK teardown has revealed code indicating that a new feature called “Call To-do List” may soon be available on supported devices. The code strings link “Call To-do List” to “Fermat,” the code name for the Call Notes feature.

Read more
I walked a mile with the Apple Watch Series 10 and Pixel Watch 3. Here are the surprising results
The Apple Watch Series 10 and Pixel Watch 3 on one wrist

The Apple Watch Series 10 is one of my favorite wearables, as it offers the biggest display AND the thinnest build in an Apple Watch to date. Battery life aside, which is much worse than both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Google Pixel Watch 3, it’s the best Apple Watch I’ve ever used.

The Apple Watch comes with a host of features for tracking your fitness, including automatic detection of many different types of workouts, but the tracking of vital signs isn’t the most accurate. The Pixel Watch 3 solves this problem with the best heart rate tracking I’ve tried on a smartwatch, but it doesn’t have as many workout options as the Apple Watch, and automatic detection is inferior as well.

Read more