Google’s standard protocol is to release updates for its devices on the first Monday of each month. However, this month, for reasons that are unclear, the company did not follow its usual schedule. Instead, Google held off on releasing the update until the third Monday of the month. Nevertheless, Pixel Watch owners can now breathe a sigh of relief as the much-anticipated March 2023 update has finally arrived.
Verizon seemed to have leaked information last week regarding the release of the March security update for Pixel Watch owners. Today, Google has officially confirmed the news and has announced that the update is now being rolled out worldwide.
Following the release of the latest update, the Pixel Watch now boasts the March 5, 2023 security patch level, with the build number being updated to RWDA.230114.008.R1. Additionally, a variant of the update, RWDA.230114.008.J2, has been released for watches in Japan and Taiwan. This update marks a significant change from the last three updates, which were identified by the build number RWD9.220429.x.
If you have not yet received the latest update with the new build number and security patch level, then it is likely that you do not have the most recent version installed on your Pixel Watch. However, you should be able to receive the update soon through an OTA (Over-The-Air) update.
What’s new Pixel Watch March 2023 Update
Compared to the last three months, the latest update for the Pixel Watch is a more significant one. It includes several notable improvements across various areas, such as Watch Faces, Display, Touch, Settings, Alarms, and Settings, among others. Additionally, the update includes several bug fixes and security enhancements
One of the notable features of the Pixel Watch is that even when the device is powered down due to low battery, users can still access the time with a simple push of the crown. This feature displays a digital clock on the screen alongside the red low battery indicator, allowing users to check the time even when their device is running low on battery.
Users can turn on the Always-on Display feature in the settings or companion app, and also activate it by rotating the crown. When the AOD is turned off, the display brightens in ambient mode, allowing users to easily view the time and other information. Additionally, the touchscreen sensitivity has been optimized, and single tap support has been added for the Battery Saver mode. The Display settings now include new color-correction and greyscale modes, giving users more options to customize the appearance of their watch.
Google has provided a detailed list of all the updates and improvements that come with the latest update for the Pixel Watch.
What’s Included
- Watch Faces – Digital Clock is now available with button press when the device is powered down. The time will now appear upon crown push, alongside the red low battery indicator.
- Display – In addition to enabling AOD in the settings on your watch or companion app, you can now turn AOD on by rotating the haptic crown, and the screen activates in AOD off and brightens the display in ambient mode.
- Touch – Optimizations have been added to improve the sensitivity of touch screen behavior.
Settings – Battery saver enable/disable single tap support in QSS has been fully enabled in this release. - Alarms – In the coming weeks, a fix will be rolled out via PlayStore to update the Clock app that addresses some alarms which have been having a delayed or false start. Ensure Auto-update apps is selected in Play Store > Settings on your watch and you will get this update once it’s available when your watch is on charger and connected to Wi-Fi.
Source: Google Support