Pixel Watch owners are reporting major issues updating to Wear OS 5 – but there could be a simple fix
If you have a Google Pixel Watch that’s primed for the Wear OS 5 update, you might want to wait a little longer. Users are reporting technical issues with the new software, leaving them with a blank screen and having to reset the device.
Earlier this week, Google announced that Wear OS 5 would be coming to the Pixel Watch 1 and 2, meaning all three models in the series now support the latest software.
However, there are multiple reports that the software update is causing watches to reboot with a blank screen, likely with an “Add Tile” message.
Users on RediT And Google’s own support forums report problems. “My pw2 is broken after installing the update. There is only a Bluetooth disconnected icon at the bottom. Help!”, said one user.
Due to multiple users reporting issues, you may want to hold off on this update if you can. If you’ve tried it and ended up with a broken Pixel Watch, there is a fix.
Problems with Pixel Watch Wear OS 5
Reports from both Android Police And The Edge indicates that performing a fastboot reset is the only solution at this time.
from Google officially support when it comes to blank or frozen screens on Pixel Watch recommends a restart. To do this, hold the crown for three seconds, scroll down and tap Restart.
If that doesn’t work, try a hard reset: press and hold the crown on your watch and the side button (at the same time) for 20 seconds until the white “G” logo appears. Your watch should reboot after this.
You can also try resetting your Pixel Watch through the app. To do this, simply tap System > Reset and unpair watch.
If you’ve exhausted all the less drastic options, you can try a Reset from Fastboot. Remember, you’ll need to log in with your most recent PIN or Google Account login, so have that information handy. To reset from Fastboot:
- Restart your watch by long pressing the crown and side button.
- Once the ‘G’ logo appears, tap the top left and bottom right edges of the watch face screen simultaneously.
- Press the side button to scroll down.
- Select recovery mode and press the crown (you should see a ‘No Command’ message on the watch).
- Hold the crown and swipe up on the screen until a debug screen appears.
- Swipe down to highlight ‘Clear data/factor reset’.
- Swipe right. This will reset your watch and PIN.
- Swipe right again to confirm.
- Reset via your phone settings.
As you can see, that’s a lot of hassle, so if you haven’t yet tried the Wear OS 5 upgrade on your older Pixel Watch, you may want to wait until Google fixes this. Otherwise, you can try Google’s various official fixes for a frozen Pixel Watch.
