This Is The Feature I Want To See On My Google Pixel Watch

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

As a wearables reviewer, I have the unique pleasure of testing devices across a range of brands, often bouncing my SIM card from phone to phone accordingly. This practice highlights stark contrasts in user experiences, especially when I learn to rely on a feature in one ecosystem only to find it missing in the next. The latest feature to stand out is the “device left behind” alert, which is available on some smartwatches but, unfortunately, not on Google’s Pixel Watch line.

I don’t consider myself an overly type-A individual. Yes, my closet is color-coded, and sure, every item I own has a “home” that I must return it to before bed each night… but I’m about as competitive as a sloth in a hammock. My only real ambition is to befriend all the neighborhood dogs. I’d say I’m Type-A minus: largely organized and disciplined but occasionally, perhaps detrimentally, laid-back. One area where my Type-B tendencies manifest most is my complete disregard for my smartphone.

I want my Pixel Watch 3 to warn me when I’m leaving my Pixel phone behind at home.

My phone’s battery perpetually hovers around 20 %, and roughly 27 unread messages fill my notification center at any given time. I only answer calls if the contact a) is currently at a location waiting for me or b) never calls, so it must be important. I don’t carry a purse, and only a fraction of my clothing has pockets. As a result, I frequently leave my phone at home, a fact my doorbell camera can confirm when I return to the door shortly after locking up.

Because my smartwatch is strapped to my body (and directly tied to how I make a living), I rarely forget it. However, when I head out phoneless, other brands’ wrist-based Device Left Behind alerts offer a helpful nudge. The Pixel Watch line could easily do the same, effectively refining its seamless integration within Google’s ecosystem. Pixel phones, watches, and earbuds are all part of Google’s Find My Device system, but none of them will notify you if left behind (yet). This could save users from forgetting needed tech at home, or worse, leaving devices in public places.

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

The scenario in which I forget my phone in public looks like some version of the following: I’m out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, and while housing chips and salsa, I scan the menu. I want a fajita, but I don’t want the excessive attention a sizzling skillet garners, so I order a burrito. The server brings beverages, and I move my phone from the table to the bench seating to prepare space for our incoming plates. An hour later, I leave the restaurant. My phone gives a silent scream as it’s left behind. Nobody hears it.

I also want my watch to keep me from leaving my phone behind at the restaurant.

If only my Pixel Watch would let me know before I pull out of the parking lot. These days, smartphones are significant investments. Losing your phone can be an expensive mistake. Shamefully asking a hostess if anyone turned it in can be emotionally tasking. A simple notification can save you on both fronts. A Device Left Behind alert ensures users’ watches don’t lose connectivity with their smartphones and, in turn, lose capabilities like notifications, maps, calls, and other essential functions. It could even be paired with a quick option to trigger the phone’s ringer from the watch to help locate it.

Without LTE connectivity, forgetting my phone negates many smartwatch features.

The TLDR is that losing your phone is more than just a frustrating inconvenience — it can impact your daily functionality. Since many smartwatches rely on phone connectivity to be truly useful, a phone-free day also nullifies some of the most useful features of wearable tech. Without the connection to LTE service, some important safety features also don’t work. Other brands like Samsung and Apple help users keep track of their belongings with Device Left Behind alerts. The Pixel Watch line needs to add this as well.