Google could be bringing 'left behind' alerts to Pixel Watch - and it might auto-lock your phone, too

Google might finally be adding a small-but-very useful feature for its smartwatches - the kind that you don’t realise you need until you leave your phone on a café table and walk off like an idiot.

According to a new APK teardown spotted by Android Authority, Google is working on a “Notify when left behind” feature for Pixel Watch that would alert you when your connected Android phone gets separated from your wrist.

This is by no means anything new - Apple Watch users have had a similar feature for years, and something Samsung’s Galaxy Watch already offers in its own ecosystem. Regardless, whether Google's late to the party or not, this will still be good news for Pixel Watch fans.

How the Pixel Watch version could work

The idea is simple - if your Pixel Watch notices your phone is no longer nearby, it'll ping you. Handy for forgetful moments, and potentially even more useful if your phone gets nicked and suddenly vanishes out of Bluetooth range.

While it's not a feature Google has official announced just yet, the strings found in Google’s code suggest the feature will require two (quite obvious) things - that your watch will need to be on your wrist, and that Bluetooth will need to be switched on for both devices.

It also looks like you’ll be able to set it up from your watch, with a note that you may need to have the watch unlocked during enrolment, which suggests Google is treating this as a security-adjacent tool, not just a casual reminder.

So, will every Pixel Watch get this feature? Well, there’s wording in the code that implies that's not the case, with a “Not supported watch” message telling users to update their watch software or use a compatible model. So don’t assume your older Pixel Watch is automatically getting it.

The more interesting bit is what this feature might do beyond just buzzing your wrist.

The report suggests the feature will tie into a separate “auto-lock” capability previously spotted, where your phone would automatically lock when it gets separated from your Pixel Watch. That’d be a pretty useful extra layer of protection if your handset slips out of your pocket, or someone grabs it and runs.

Newer strings also suggest you’ll be able to quiet the alerts in “trusted locations” so your watch doesn’t yell at you every time you leave your phone charging upstairs, and that toggling Airplane Mode could trigger the behaviour too, since it effectively kills Bluetooth and forces a “we’re separated” moment.

None of this confirms a release date, however, but if Google does ship it, it’ll be a very welcome move.