Google's November Pixel Watch drop is rolling out step-by-step workouts to Pixel Watch 3 and newer now, behind a Google Health Premium subscription. Four more features arrive over the next few weeks: phone-to-watch unlock, Wear OS 7.1 notification summaries that need a Pixel 9 or newer phone, custom widgets on Pixel Watch 4 and 5, and Gemini Call Screen.
Google’s November Pixel Drop includes five features for the Pixel Watch, but only one is rolling out now. Step-by-step workouts started reaching the Pixel Watch 3 and newer on November 10, according to Google’s announcement. The other four, including unlocking the watch from your phone, arrive “in the next few weeks,” Google says in its Pixel Drop post.
Rolling out now: step-by-step workouts, for Premium subscribers
The watch shows instructions for each exercise in a workout from the Gemini-powered Google Health Coach or a custom routine you build in the Google Health app. You can log reps and weights on your wrist, and the session stays in sync with your phone. Google’s fine print says it requires a Google Health Premium subscription, which costs $9.99 a month or $99 a year, as we reported earlier this month. 9to5Google says you need Google Health 4.12 or newer on the watch and 5.12 or newer on the phone.
Coming in the next few weeks
- Phone-to-watch unlock (Pixel Watch 3 and newer). When the watch is on your wrist and you unlock your nearby phone, the watch unlocks too, so you skip the PIN or pattern. 9to5Google reports a “Unlocking your watch” prompt appears on the phone with a Cancel button, and that Ultra-Wideband plays a role.
- Notification and chat summaries (Wear OS 7.1). Long notification stacks and multi-message chats get an overview. Google lists the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 on Wear OS 7.1, paired with a Pixel 9 (not the 9a), Pixel 10 (not the 10a) or Pixel 11 on Android 16.1 or newer.
- Custom widgets (Pixel Watch 4 and 5). The Create My Widget feature from Pixel phones, which builds a widget from a prompt.
- Gemini Call Screen. Gemini asks unknown callers why they’re calling and shows a live transcript. Google says it comes to the Pixel Watch 4 and 5. 9to5Google reports it is a US English feature.
The free upgrade is phone unlock
My read: the unlock feature is the one most Pixel Watch owners will notice, because typing a PIN every time you put the watch back on is a daily chore, and it reaches the Pixel Watch 3 at no extra cost. The summaries are limited to owners who also have a recent Pixel phone. If you’re weighing a watch for the workday on an iPhone instead, our guide to which Apple Watch to buy covers that side. Don’t pay for Premium only for workout guidance until you’ve tried the free features in the drop.