Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Wear OS 5, the newest version of the wearable operating system, is coming to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 starting today.
- Along with OS-level upgrades, services will also get new features, such as an app grid and Pixel Recorder functionality.
- According to Google, the rollout will “continue over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device.”
When the Google Pixel Watch 3 launched in August, Google revealed it would come with Wear OS 5 out of the box. While this was great news, it left users of older Pixel Watch models wondering when they would get a taste of Wear OS 5.
Well, today is the big day! Google has revealed that Wear OS 5 is starting to roll out now to the original Pixel Watch and the Pixel Watch 2. According to the announcement, the rollout will “continue over the next week in phases depending on carrier and device.” In other words, although it’s starting today, it could be some time before you actually see the OTA notification on your watch.
Along with Wear OS 5, the update brings the September 2024 security patch. To read more about the specifics of the security patch, check out Google’s bulletin on the matter.
Additionally, Wear OS 5 support allows for updates to apps and Google Play Services that bring in features previously locked to the Pixel Watch 3. This includes the ability to have an app grid instead of an app list, camera controls, and Recorder support. Note that most of these features won’t come with Wear OS 5 directly, but you can update related apps and services once you’ve upgraded to see them.
With this rollout, Wear OS 5 is now officially available on the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, and all Pixel watches. We’ll need to wait and see if it will land on other Samsung watches and those from other brands.
