Wear
OS
5
–
the
latest
operating
system
(OS)
for
Android-based
wearables
such
as
smartwatches
–
has
begun
rolling
out
to
Google
Pixel
Watch
2
and
older
models.
First
unveiled
at
the
Google
I/O
2024
developer
conference
in
May,
the
update
brings
enhancements
to
the
Watch
Face
Format
in
partnership
with
Samsung,
a
grid-based
app
launcher,
and
recording
functionality
to
Pixel
smartwatches.
It
also
bundles
system
improvements
and
fixes
for
critical
security
vulnerabilities.
WearOS
5
Update
for
Pixel
Smartwatches
In
a
blog
post,
Google
announced
that
its
Pixel
Watch
2
and
Pixel
Watch,
running
on
Wear
OS
4
and
3.5,
respectively,
will
receive
the
September
2024
software
over-the-air
(OTA)
update
which
will
include
an
upgrade
to
Wear
OS
5.
Its
rollout
is
taking
place
in
a
phased
manner
and
will
continue
over
the
next
week,
depending
on
the
carrier
and
device.
Once
it
becomes
available,
users
will
receive
a
notification
on
their
smartwatch,
recommending
they
upgrade
to
the
latest
available
software.
Google
says
the
Wear
OS
5
update
for
the
Pixel
Watch
2
comes
with
the
model
number
AW2A.240903.005.A1,
while
that
for
the
Pixel
Watch
has
AW2A.240903.005.A2.
Following
the
update,
the
smartwatches
will
get
“new
features”.
While
it
did
not
delve
into
exactly
what
features
might
be
available,
it
did
mention
the
grid-view
launcher,
improved
camera
controls
and
Pixel
Recorder
functionality
coming
to
Google’s
older
smartwatches.
Thus,
users
will
be
able
to
check
out
their
apps
in
a
new
grid-based
layout
–
an
addition
to
the
list-based
layout
which
was
previously
the
only
option
available.
Additionally,
the
September
2024
software
update
will
also
include
performance
updates
and
bug
fixes,
and
the
details
of
the
latter
are
available
on
Google’s
Pixel
Watch
Security
Bulletin
page.
Wear
OS
5
update
for
Android-based
smartwatches
also
stops
support
for
watch
faces
developed
without
using
the
Watch
Face
Format
(WFF)
on
the
Google
Play
Store.
Only
watch
faces
which
meet
Google’s
quality
and
performance
standards
will
be
accessible
on
smartwatches
running
the
new
firmware.
This
change
is
in
lieu
of
WFF’s
introduction
which
Google
unveiled
in
2023
in
partnership
with
Samsung.