Don't update! Wear OS 5 is bricking some Pixel smartwatches
Google has temporarily halted the rollout of its Wear OS 5 update for older Pixel smartwatches. This decision comes in response to reports of soft-bricking issues experienced by some users with their Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 devices. The Wear OS 5 update is no longer available for download on these devices.
Update still available for manual installation
Despite the halt in automatic updates, Google has not removed the factory and OTA images for Wear OS 5. This means that users with technical knowledge can still manually install the update on their devices. Although, they should not. The issue affecting Pixel Watch and Watch 2 users is a persistent black screen with a Bluetooth logo at the bottom during the update process.
Google provides solution for soft-bricking issue
To address the soft-bricking issue, Google has provided a detailed guide on how to fix a blank, frozen, or error message on the Pixel Watch. The process involves restarting the device and entering "Fastboot" mode. From there, users are guided through steps to reset their watch from this mode. This procedure is necessary as a simple restart will not resolve the issue for Pixel Watch and Watch 2 users.
Wear OS 5 update: New features and future plans
The Wear OS 5 update was set to introduce several new features and enhancements for Pixel Watch users. These included a grid-based app launcher, additional data types for running in Health Services, an AI-powered transcription feature in the Recorder app, and improved camera controls. The rollout of this update was first announced at the Google I/O 2024 developer conference in May. However, due to the current issues, Google has paused the update without providing a timeline for its resumption.
