Find out how tapping your Google smartwatch unlocks a secret, hidden setting.
If you’re looking to speed along the rollout of the latest Wear OS update to your Google Pixel Watch, you’re in luck.
Google’s first smartwatch will consistently get updates throughout the year. With each of the first three generations of Pixel Watch, Google has continuously provided the newest Wear OS software version to previous models.
However, each time a major Pixel Watch update is released, many users take to forums to complain that they are still waiting for the update to arrive on their watch. If this sounds like your problem, this is the guide to follow.
An old Wear OS 2 trick still functions on the newer version of the software, at least on the Pixel Watch. Below, we’ll guide you through the incredibly simple steps to activate this.
How to force an update to your Google Pixel Watch
Let’s assume that you’ve already tried to manually force a system update by heading to ‘Settings’ and then ‘System Updates’. If not, try this first.
If you see a message appear that your device is up to date even though you know a new update should be rolling out, follow the steps below.
We’ve tried this method on Pixel Watch 1-3 and found success.
1. Go to ‘Settings’ on your Pixel Watch – you can do this from the Quick Settings menu.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings list and choose ‘System’.
3. Select ‘System Updates’.
4. If you see that no update is ready to download, begin tapping the small watch icon at the top of the screen for roughly 30-60 seconds.
5. Eventually, this should force an update. If you’re running below 50% battery, it should pop up and prompt you to place your Pixel Watch on a charger.
6. Once it’s on a charger, it should begin downloading.
