Pixel Watch updates its ‘always on’ display for media controls and timers

Google’s Pixel Watches roll out an improved always-on display.

Tech site 9to5Google noted that with Wear OS 6, the Pixel Watch added permanent features for media controls (such as controlling your music) as well as the timer app. Previously, these types of tools became unclear after a while. Now they remain on screen, with the display having been slightly changed from the previous iteration.

This could be a major improvement for people who use their watch, say, to time a workout or track what they’re cooking. Mashable named the Google Pixel Watch 4 the best Android smartwatch of 2025 – so it’s an improvement on an already good product. Technical editor Timothy Beck Werth wrote that it was “stylish enough to wear to the office, but comfortable and smart enough to monitor workouts.” Senior journalist Christianna Silva, meanwhile, wrote in her review that “the Pixel Watch 4 is a true runner’s watch, and it’s beautiful too.”

So now, if you’re a serious runner doing sprints on a track, you won’t need to fiddle with the screen to check your times. It’s a small change that could have a big impact.