A small but cool update is rolling out to the Pixel Watch, bringing app icons to Wear OS Tiles. This change comes with the Wear OS 5.1 update and makes it easier to spot which app is behind each Tile. When you swipe left or right through your Tiles, a little app icon shows up at the top of the screen for about a second before fading away. It’s a quick flash, but it adds a nice touch to the experience.

The icons appear in a round overlay, popping up briefly without blocking the Tile’s info—like data rings, which usually sit lower on the screen. It’s a simple tweak, but it makes things feel more polished. This idea isn’t brand new; Google first showed it off back in 2021 with Wear OS 3. Since then, it’s popped up in ads and developer guides, but only recently started showing up on Pixel Watches.

This update started appearing for some users after resetting their Pixel Watch 3 around December or January, when it was running Wear OS 5 and Android 14. It’s a small change, but it’s one of those details that makes using the watch a bit smoother. For now, it’s a fun little upgrade that hints at more improvements Google might be planning for Wear OS down the road.

Just days after its big launch, Google has started sending out Android 16 Beta 3.1 to Pixel phones and tablets. This update tackles some annoying problems that were messing with everyday use.
The update, labeled BP22.250221.013, comes with the March 2025 security fix. It works on tons of Pixel models, like the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold.

It fixes a bug that made the Settings app crash over and over when the phone wasn’t set to English. Another fix stops the screen brightness from jumping between app settings and the phone’s auto or manual settings. It also solves a battery-draining issue caused by the processor working too hard and stops memory leaks that slow things down. On a Pixel 9, the update is a tiny 6.70 MB download.

If your device is in the Android Beta for Pixel program, you’ll get this update wirelessly. Meanwhile, the Wear OS 5.1 update is now rolling out to LTE versions of the Pixel Watch 3 and 2, plus the first Pixel Watch. Two weeks back, it hit a third of devices, but now it’s ready for more. Before this, only the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Pixel Watch 2 and 3 had it. Built on Android 15, this update also reaches LTE models and the older Pixel Watch.

For the watches, the update codes are BP1A.250305.019.W2 for the Pixel Watch 1 and BP1A.250305.019.W3 for the 2 and 3. The delay might be because of carrier checks, and the first watch uses an older chip. Wear OS 5.1 brings easier logins with passwords or services like Google Sign-In.

Apps can now play music through the watch speaker. Google swapped the yellow accent color for gray in some spots and added a simpler Settings > Modes menu. There’s also a new option for developers to keep the clock clear when the wrist is down. Other perks, like better health tracking and YouTube Music controls, are coming through app updates.

Wear OS 5.1 is here for the Pixel Watch, and it includes a cool new feature for developers called “Force Global Always-On Display (AOD).” Most apps on Wear OS still don’t work with the always-on screen, but this update changes things a bit.

Since Wear OS 3, only a few apps—like Google Maps for directions, Keep for notes, and Spotify for music—stay active when the screen is always on. For most other apps, when you lower your wrist, the screen blurs and just shows the time. Now, with Wear OS 5.1, this new developer option keeps your last app screen visible even when your wrist is down. The display dims and the text looks chunkier, but it stays usable—similar to how your watch face works.

For example, if you’re using the Stopwatch, it keeps counting instead of switching to a blurry clock. This is different from the usual setup, where the screen hides the app. To turn this on, go to Settings > System > About > Versions, and tap “Build number” a few times. After entering your PIN, you’ll see “Developer options” at the bottom of the Settings menu. Scroll to the end, and you’ll find “Force Global AOD Experience.” This works on the Pixel Watch 2 and likely the Pixel Watch 3, too.

There’s a catch—leaving this on might drain your battery faster, so think about that before using it. It’s not clear if this will ever be a regular feature for everyone. A smarter fix would be for app makers to update their apps to support always-on screens. Google could lead the way by fixing their own apps first.
This update makes the Pixel Watch more fun to use, but it’s up to you if the battery trade-off is worth it!