Google says Pixel Watch users won't see a fixed WearOS 5 any time soon

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Several weeks ago, Google shut down WearOS 5 because it was soft-bricking some users' watches when installed. Customers were hoping for a quick fix, but if you're anticipating the OS's new features, you'll be waiting a little longer.

In a community update about the issue, Google acknowledged the problem and added that it was working on it. It also added, though, that it plans to "resume the WearOS 5 rollout to these devices later this year, once we've mitigated the observed issues."

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Google didn't explain what's causing the delay or offer a more specific date than "later this year," but it sounds like the update isn't coming anytime soon. 

WearOS 5 is supposed to bring several new features to Pixel watches, including better camera controls, a Recorder app with AI transcription (originally a Pixel Watch 3 exclusive), better overall performance, added workout metrics for runners, enhanced faces, and an all-new app launcher.

The OS upgrade launched in late September, but many users encountered a blank screen when they tried to install it, with no option to restart or navigate away. Fastbooting the watch made it operational again for some affected users but without the new OS.

Google does offer a couple of potential fixes for the blank screen issue, but one of them involves completely resetting your watch to factory settings.

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Ironically, Samsung's line of Galaxy smart watches just received another update to One UI 6 Watch beta (based on WearOS 5), its second beta update in a month and seventh overall. If the frequent updates mean Samsung is squashing bugs each time, it appears Samsung might be close to a stable release and its watches might get WearOS 5 before Google's own watches do. 

When WearOS 5 is available, Google will release it in waves depending on carriers and devices. You'll get a notification once it's ready, but you can also check under the "System Updates" section of your Pixel watch's settings menu.