Newsletter
Like Pixel smartphones, the Pixel Watch can also turn off automatically if it gets too hot. A user recently found this after they left the watch in their car for the whole day. When they returned, the wearable had a “Watch was too warm” notification from the system Settings app on the screen, followed by the description “It turned off to cool down and is now running normally.”
Pixel Watch turned off automatically after overheating
According to Google, the Pixel Watch works best in ambient temperatures (32-95°F or 0-35°C). The company says you should ideally store it between ambient temperatures of -4°F and 113°F i.e. -20°C and 45°C. Exposing the watch to temperatures above 113°F/45°C, such as on a car dashboard or near a heating vent, may damage it. The battery could overheat the battery, posing a risk of fire. Thankfully, Google has put countermeasures to protect the Pixel Watch against the heat.
According to a Reddit post from the aforementioned Pixel Watch user, they had left the watch in the car while on the lake (via). While they didn’t reveal whether the car was under direct sunlight anytime during this period, it appears things got a bit too hot inside the car for the watch to function normally. It turned off automatically and turned on back again after some cooling. The person wasn’t there to see but the watch may have shown a “high temperature” warning on the screen before turning off.
That’s how Pixel phones behave in case of overheating. You’ll first see a pop-up saying that the phone is getting warm and is trying to cool down on its own and will let you check out some care steps. This cooling process may slow down the phone, blocking your access to the camera, flashlight, and a few other functions. You may lose access to Wi-Fi and mobile data as well. The phone won’t be completely useless, though. But if this automatic cooling doesn’t work, the Pixel will turn off. The device recommends waiting for a while before restarting, something the Pixel Watch likely does too.
Give your watch extra care this summer
More Pixel Watch users may experience this in the coming months as the summer gets underway in several parts of the world. Hopefully, the wearable can survive robust usage in those parts. Streaming music over cellular data and playing it through connected Bluetooth headsets while simultaneously running GPS tracking and keeping AOD (always-on display) enabled may push it to the limit, though. You might want to give extra care to your-wrist worn gadget in this hot summer so it doesn’t suffer any severe damage.