- Your phone may soon alert you if you left your Google Pixel Watch behind, according to a teardown from Android Authority
- This mirrors another rumored feature, which would cause your Pixel Watch to alert you in the opposite scenario.
- Apple has offered these types of features for years, but Google is quietly catching up.
I liked the Google Pixel Watch 4 when I reviewed it. It has a lovely design and some innovative features in addition to the usual smartwatch features such as replaceable batteries, a domed display, and satellite connectivity.
These notifications alert your device if it has become separated from another device in your ecosystem. For example, if you leave your phone at a restaurant, your smartwatch will alert you when the connection is lost and vice versa. The Pixel Watch doesn’t currently do this, but Android Authority has spotted lines of code in its companion app that indicate such a feature could be on the way.
The code found stipulates that your phone will alert you if your Pixel Watch falls behind, although a separate teardown last June, again by Android Authority, indicated that this also worked in the reverse scenario.
It appears that only certain Pixel Watch models will support this feature, and both devices require Bluetooth to be turned on for it to work. The feature would also automatically lock the device left behind, a useful addition to prevent security breaches.
At this time, it is unclear when the feature will reach Pixel Watch owners. However, considering this appears to have been in the works for a few months, there’s a good chance we’ll have to wait for a Google Pixel Watch 5 to see it, with the feature being advertised as an incentive to upgrade.
Google is quietly catching up to Apple
Helpful additions like “forgotten” notifications and other background features that make smartwatches eminently usable are exactly what Google needs to tempt people into the Android ecosystem.
While much of Google’s noise revolves around Gemini these days, its smartwatch seems to have been all but forgotten. It’s a shame, because Google’s flagship smartwatch has been slowly improving every year, and it’s now at the point where I would really recommend most Android users get a Pixel Watch to meet their smartwatch needs.
They offer different sizes, longer battery life, great fitness features through Fitbit, some fun design options, repairability, and add an ecosystem that works just as well as Apple’s, and the Pixel Watch is a true rival to the Apple Watch in terms of quality.
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