What’s happened? If you own an older Google Pixel Watch, such as the Watch 2 or the Watch 3, and you didn’t splurge your money on the latest one, there’s good news for you.
- Google has finally started rolling out Wear OS 6 (built on Android 16), first previewed on the Pixel Watch 4, to older Pixel Watches.
- For now, the list of compatible devices includes the Pixel Watch 2 (2023) and the Pixel Watch 3 (2024), including the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and LTE models.
Why is this important? Google is pushing a Wear OS 6 OTA update to all eligible devices, starting from October 8. The complete rollout will take a few weeks, depending on the region, carrier, and the device.
- The update includes Google’s new Material 3 Expressive dynamic color theming, which revamps the entire look and feel of the Pixel Watch UI.
- You get a smoother user interface, refreshed icons and layouts for apps, smoother scrolling, and edge-hugging visual elements that make the entire experience more vibrant and intuitive.
- Google also claims a 10% improvement in battery life, thanks to the efficiency optimizations made under the hood.
Why should I care? If you own an older Pixel Watch, the Wear OS 6 update will give it a fresh look and add new features. Further, your smartwatch will last longer between charges.
- Wear OS 6 brings Pixel Watches closer to the design language seen on the latest Pixel smartphones running Android 16, unifying the experience across devices.
- You can head to Settings > System > System Updates to download the update.
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OK, what’s next? The Pixel Watch 4, pre-installed with the Wear OS 6 update, will hit shelves on October 9, 2025.
- The original Pixel Watch isn’t included (yet), but it should get the latest Wear OS 6 update by the end of this month.
- As Google moves to a quarterly OS release for its smartwatches, expect more frequent additions.
