Pixel Watch: WearOS 6.1 brings new gestures and Smart Replies

After Google released Android 16 QPR2 for its Pixel smartphones last week, it's now the watches' turn: The update brings Wear OS 6.1 (BP4A.251205.005.W7) to the 2nd to 4th generation Pixel Watch models. Owners of a Pixel Watch 4 will gain access to new gesture controls. Users of the Pixel Watch 3 and 4 can also access AI-optimized "Smart Replies". The Pixel Watches from the 2nd to 4th generation will also receive security fixes with the December update, which is based on Android 16.

New gestures only for Pixel Watch 4

As Google writes in its announcement, the update to Wear OS 6.1 brings two new gestures to the Watch 4: The "double pinch gesture" is reminiscent of those from competitors Apple and Samsung. The second gesture is a wrist rotation that recalls older Android Wear watches.

With the first feature, Pixel Watch 4 owners can scroll through lists on the small watch display, mute alarms, scroll through notifications, and manage timers or stopwatches by pinching their thumb and index finger together twice. Google also states that it is possible to pause music playback, select a smart reply to a message, and in the future, answer and end calls, and more. When the feature is available, a notification will appear on the screen.

By rotating the wrist away from the body and back, users can now, for example, mute calls and close new notifications. The new gestures are activated by default after the update. Users will also receive a tutorial after installing the Wear OS update that explains how the features work.

Google is also improving the existing "raise to speak" gesture. The company is integrating a step-by-step tutorial to help new users familiarize themselves with the feature.

Pixel Watch 3 and 4 with smarter replies

The Pixel Watch 3 and 4 will both receive updates for the "Smart Replies" function, which is based on a new AI model that runs directly on the watch. According to Google, it is a custom Gemma-based model that is twice as fast and "almost three times as efficient in terms of memory usage" as the previous version.

The Pixel Watch 2 will not receive any new features and will apparently only get current security patches. Google's first Pixel Watch from 2022 will not receive any updates: it received its last update in October.

(afl)