The New Wearos Update Finally Cured My Apple Watch Envy - How To Get It

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• WearOS has a caller update and it's fantastic.
• You get a boost of Material 3 Expressive for nan UI.
• Battery life is improved and animations are overmuch smoother.

I've been sporting Pixel Watches since nan first iteration. Those early releases were functional but ugly, had anemic artillery life (a 10% betterment complete nan erstwhile version), presented very mediocre animations, and conscionable didn't lucifer up pinch nan Android UI. Every clip I saw personification utilizing their Apple Watch, I felt a spot jealous. Those watches were beautiful, smooth, and had overmuch amended artillery life.

Always a bridesmaid, right?

The latest merchandise of WearOS changes each of that, and now my Pixel Watch is connected par pinch nan Apple Watch.

Also: Google Pixel Watch 3: Key specs, features, price, and everything other you request to know

I cognize that sounds for illustration crazy talk, but it's true. The caller UI is beautiful, nan animations are buttery smooth, and nan artillery life is overmuch improved. In fact, aft nan latest update, I put my watch on, unlocked it, and was shocked astatine what I saw.

Could this be? Did personification switch retired my Pixel Watch pinch an Apple Watch? 

Nope. Google yet did WearOS justness and now it's arsenic beautiful arsenic nan latest Android UI. On apical of nan artistic improvements, nan capacity is truthful overmuch better.

As acold arsenic watches that are compatible pinch nan latest merchandise of WearOS, nan pursuing are included: Pixel Watch 3 and 4, Samsung Galaxy 8 series, and nan Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

For those who want to spot a elemental database of nan latest improvements, return a look:

• Material 3 Expressive: Like Android, WearOS gets a large boost successful nan looks section pinch much personalized and move colour themes, smoother animations, and a much accordant look.
• Updated Tiles: Even nan tiles travel nan Material 3 Expressive aesthetic, arsenic good arsenic mutli-slotted layouts tin of displaying moreover much information.
• Better each astir visuals: Even nan footwear animations and first-time setup surface person been fixed a Material 3 Expressive kick.
• Adaptive Theming: All theming elements are automatically pulled from your chosen watchface, to create a much cohesive look.
• Better notifications: Notifications are now easier to publication and now see images (such arsenic a interaction image, if applicable).
• A massively improved keyboard: When you request to type thing (even conscionable your unlock PIN), you'll find nan keyboard is overmuch easier to use.

Other features pinch nan latest update include:

• Offline Google Maps: You tin now entree downloaded maps connected your watch for navigation without your phone.
• Google Wallet support: You'll find it imaginable to now entree boarding passes, arena tickets, and loyalty cards straight from your wrist.
• Google Home shortcuts: You tin now quickly power smart location devices utilizing a caller Favorites tile and complication. 

When you put each of nan supra together, you'll find WearOS to yet person arrived astatine a modernity that it has lacked since inception. In fact, anterior to this latest update, each clip my Pixel Watch received a caller OS version, I was underwhelmed. This is nan first loop that really had maine excited. Now, I tin locomotion up to personification wearing an Apple Watch and not consciousness for illustration I person to hide my wrist successful shame.

That's really acold WearOS has travel pinch nan latest iteration.

How to get nan caller update

There's really not overmuch you request to spell to get nan latest update. When nan update is disposable for your watch, you will spot a notification successful nan WearOS Notification Shade informing you to spot your telephone connected its charger. As soon arsenic you spot nan telephone connected nan charger, nan update will begin. 

When nan update is completed, region your watch from nan charger and you're bully to go. 

If you don't spot nan update successful nan notifications, do this:

1. Swipe down connected nan location screen
2. Tap nan cogwheel icon
3. Scroll down and pat System
4. Tap System Updates

If your watch doesn't automatically alert you of an update, spell here.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

If nan update is available, you tin pat to statesman nan process (at which point, you'll beryllium prompted to spot your watch connected its charger).

Must person update

This is astir apt nan first  update to WearOS that I would telephone a "must have." If your watch is utilizing immoderate WearOS type earlier than 6.0, make judge to cheque for an update and use it immediately. 

Trust me, you won't regret taking nan clip to do this.