Google appears to have pulled the Wear OS 5 update for older Pixel Watch models following widespread reports that it was causing devices to crash and even brick.
Google announced earlier this week that the Pixel Watch 1 and 2 would be getting the Wear OS 5 treatment; however, problems emerged for users following the rollout on Wednesday (September 25).
Multiple users have reported problems with the update, with their Pixel Watches stuck on a blank screen and in need of a fastboot reset.
Now it looks like Google might have pressed pause on the update while it irons out this bug.
While the factory and OTA options for performing a manual install are still available, 9to5Google reports that Pixel Watch owners yet to upgrade no longer have the option to download the update, noting that “Going to Settings > System > System updates and repeatedly tapping does not yield the update like it did earlier in the week.”
Wear OS 5 on hold
The problem with Wear OS 5 bricking some Pixel Watch models doesn’t appear universal. 9to5 notes that “most users have successfully installed Wear OS 5 and aren’t facing any issues.” However, the black-screen Bluetooth-logo-of-death is a massive headache for those who have had to deal with it.
As we previously reported, if you’ve encountered this problem when updating your Pixel Watch 1 or 2 you’ll need to do a fastboot rest in order to bring your watch back to life.
When Google does finally get its ducks in a row, Pixel Watch users can look forward to Wear OS 5’s battery life optimizations, new watch faces (and a new watch face format that takes up less storage), new running metrics, and more.
While the Pixel Watch 3 is Google’s latest contribution to the best smartwatches going right now, older models are getting at least one more trip around the sun on the latest software. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, and will update this report with any new information.