Wear OS 5.1 Unveiled: Next-Level Features for Your Pixel Watch

Wear OS 5.1 is now available on all three generations of the Pixel Watch, based on Android 15 and following the four-month update cycle. Key features for app developers include support for a Credential Manager API and watch speaker playback. Notable UI changes include:

• A new Developer option to force a global always-on display (AOD) experience.
• Tweaks to the Active watch face, with improved time visibility in AOD mode.
• Changes to the default accent color from yellow to gray.
• Consolidation of Do Not Disturb, Bedtime, and Theater modes under a new Modes menu.
• The return of Google Sans font on the original Pixel Watch.
• March 2025 feature updates such as Auto Bedtime Mode for Pixel Watch 2, loss of pulse detection on PW3, menstrual tracking, improved step tracking algorithms, and enhanced media controls in YouTube Music.