The Google Pixel Watch is undoubtedly one of the best smartwatches on the market right now. Released late last year alongside the Google Pixel 7 range, the watch marks Google's first attempt at making a Pixel-branded wearable device.
Now, users are getting a great smart home upgrade thanks to a Wear OS update. It means that users can preview notifications from their smart camera or video doorbell, right on their watch. That will allow you to see at a glance who has triggered the camera, and decide if you need to take action on your phone.
To work, users will need a compatible smartwatch. Devices will need to be running Wear OS 3 or newer, with a linked Android phone running Android 9 or newer.
That opens the technology up to a whole host of users. Popular choices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 should be more than capable of running the new feature – just make sure everything is up to date and you're good to go.
You'll also need a compatible Nest Camera or Nest Video Doorbell. Google says that those must have been launched in 2021 or later to work with the update.
It's a great upgrade. Users will be able to instantly see who has triggered a camera, without having to dig out their phone. That allows you to make a decision about whether you need to take further action or not, without having to stop what you're doing. It should make the whole smart home experience a lot more convenient.
Users will need to upgrade to Wear OS System UI 1.4 or higher to access the feature. That's expected to start rolling out in June, with availability on all devices pegged for the end of that month.
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Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.
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