There are a couple of updates rolling out to Pixel Watch users that will allow for a better always-on display experience across three Google apps.
The updates are rolling out for Timer, Stopwatch and Media Controls and they make for a much more consistent experience.
If you have a Google Pixel Watch, then today is a good day. When Google launched Wear OS 6, it said it would introduce “more consistent always-on behaviour” when it came to the Always-On Display and that day has now come, at least for a few key areas.
According to a report on 9to5Google, there are a few updates rolling out for the Pixel Watch that will deliver a better experience across three elements, including the Timer app. In the past, a number of the native Google apps would see the clock appear on the screen after a few seconds in order to conserve things like battery life, but the new updates change that.
What will the new Always-On Display experience offer?
With the Timer app update, it will be able to remain active even when you put your wrist down or the screen times out. Similar to what happens on Apple Watch, the seconds are replaced with dashes when using the Timer, with raising your wrist then displaying the seconds again.
The new experience also sees the buttons, including the restart, end and pause, outlined only rather than filled in and there is no countdown ring surrounding the display either.
Some changes are also coming to Stopwatch with the Google Clock 6.11 update. Like the Timer always-on display interface, buttons are outlined only, and you lose milliseconds in place of dashes. The outer ring and increments are also scrapped.
The 9to5Google report also said that some users will see media controls on the always-on display of Pixel Watch too. These controls also switch to the outlined button style, allowing you to control the media playing on your phone through your smartwatch.
It’s worth mentioning that the media controls update and the Stopwatch experience are both rolling out and may not be available to all users just yet.
The Timer experience should be though. Be sure to check all three apps are updated in the Play Store and fingers crossed you will see the new experiences sooner rather than later.
