Google Pixel Watch's Revised Wear OS 5.1 Update Skips A Key Feature

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Summary

Google is finally widely rolling out a new update for the Pixel Watch, fixing bugs from the initial March build.
The update also reverts to the original step count algorithm due to issues with the new algorithm.
Pixel Watch owners on the November 2024 build will finally get to try Wear OS 5.1 on their watch.

Google initially rolled out Wear OS 5.1 for the Pixel Watch lineup in early March, but pulled it a couple of weeks later due to several bugs. The company followed up with another bug-fixing release in early April for users still on the March 2025 build. This revised firmware was never widely pushed to Pixel Watch owners who hadn’t installed the original March 2025 update and were still on the November 2024 build. Thankfully, this is changing now, with Google finally rolling out a new update for the Pixel Watch widely.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 with a blue band.

Surprisingly, even users on the initial April build will receive a new April 2025 firmware. It will resolve an issue with the higher-than-usual step count in certain scenarios by reverting to the original step count algorithm. With the March 2025 Feature Drop, Google rolled out a new step count algorithm for the Pixel Watch, which it claimed provided higher accuracy. However, users reported that this was not the case, as the watch showed an abnormally high step count after the update.

Based on the feedback, Google has reverted to the original algorithm for all users. It’s unclear whether the company will roll out the new algorithm again in the future after making the necessary changes.

For Pixel Watch users still on the November 2024 build, the new April 2025 firmware will introduce Android 15-based Wear OS 5.1, providing smoother system performance. It does not contain any other major user-facing changes, though.

You can download the update manually

Google says it is releasing the April 2025 update for all Pixel Watch models starting today. The rollout will continue over the next few weeks in phases, so it may not appear on your watch immediately. You can manually download the build by navigating to Settings > System > System updates and repeatedly tapping the “Your watch is up to date” screen. Ensure your watch is on charge when trying this.

The new firmware carries the build number BP1A.250305.019.W8. For reference, the previous April update was BP1A.250305.019.W7, while the March build was labeled BP1A.250305.019.W3. Despite being rolled out in (almost) the last week of April, the Pixel Watch’s latest update includes the March security patch.