What you need to know
- Google is rolling out the May 2024 security update for the Pixel Watch starting today.
- All Pixel Watch models running Wear OS 4 are eligible for the update, which will continue rolling out over the next week.
- Unlike last month’s update, Google says the May 2024 update is strictly a security patch.
Starting today, the May 2024 security patch for the Google Pixel Watch is beginning to roll out. Though it could take a week or so for all Pixel Watches to get the update, all Pixel Watch models running Wear OS 4 are eligible to receive it. The patch for Google’s wearables is coming before the May 2024 update for Pixel phones, which tracks with the company’s rollout schedule in recent months.
Google surprisingly added a few new features in the April 2024 update for Pixel Watch last month. That security patch included Vibration Watch, which is a feature that helps convey the time using haptic feedback. Auto-brightness was improved as well, in addition to the usual bug fixes and security improvements.
Unfortunately, the May 2024 update for the Pixel Watch is far less exciting. According to Google’s official security bulletins for the Pixel Watch, the May 2024 patch really just includes security fixes. For security reasons, we won’t know the details of what issues were fixed in the May 2024 update until after it has been widely deployed. Still, you should install the May 2024 patch on your Pixel Watch as soon as it appears, as we don’t know what security flaws could be out there.
To install the May 2024 security update on your Pixel Watch, open the Settings app on your device and navigate to System > System Updates. You may see the update appear automatically, or you could find a “Your watch is up to date” message. There’s a trick to forcing the update to show up, and it involves tapping the “Your watch is up to date” screen a few times before it reloads. Then, you should be able to install the May 2024 patch as normal.
However, Google says that the rollout may be staggered based on device model and carrier, and it’ll continue over the next week. If you don’t see it right away, you might just have to be patient. Alternatively, you can download the official OTA images for the May 2024 security update here.
