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The Google Pixel Watch is getting a new software update, the second since its market debut in October last year. It’s a relatively small release this time around. Google’s official release notes only mention a fix for an issue with third-party watch faces that cause those to turn off automatically after 15 minutes when always on display (AOD) is enabled. Of course, the January 2023 security patch is also part of this update. The latter contains dozens of vulnerability fixes.
If you are one of the early adopters of Google‘s first-ever smartwatch, you can check for updates for your wearable from the System menu on the Settings app. Tap on System updates and your Pixel Watch will look for new updates on its own. If it finds a new software release, you’ll be prompted to download and install it. If there’s no update available, wait a few days and check again. You may also receive a notification once the OTA (over the air) release hits your unit. You can proceed by tapping on the notification.
According to Google’s release notes, the new firmware version for the Pixel Watch is RWD9.220429.073 (RWD9.220429.073.J1 for users in Japan and Taiwan). Since the rollout has just begun, it could take a few days for everyone to see this update. Make sure to keep the Pixel Watch app on your smartphone updated so you don’t miss out on all the latest features. The app has picked up a few updates of its own since Google launched its first-ever smartwatch.
Your Pixel Watch may get Fall Detection any day now
The Pixel Watch shipped without Fall Detection support. Google said the feature will be available a few months down the line. While none of the two software updates brought it, at least one user has already picked up the nifty feature. The said user received Fall Detection via a server-side update while running the December patch. Their watch showed a prompt to set up the feature after a restart.
Google still lists Fall Detection as an upcoming Pixel Watch feature, so it appears to be small-scale testing. But with the release of this update, we expect the company to soon begin a wider rollout of it. The feature may arrive as a server-side update in the coming days. Once available, it can be found under the Safety & Emergency section in the Settings app. We will let you know if Google officially announces the availability of Fall Detection for the Pixel Watch.