- Your phone could soon alert you if you’ve left your Google Pixel Watch behind, according to an Android Authority teardown
- This mirrors another rumored feature that would cause your Pixel Watch to alert you in the opposite scenario
- Apple has been providing this kind of feature for years, but Google is slowly catching up
I liked the Google Pixel Watch 4 when I reviewed it. It has a nice design and some innovative features beyond the usual smartwatch stuff, like replaceable batteries, a curved screen and satellite connectivity.
These notifications alert your device if it has been separated from another device in its ecosystem. For example, if you leave your phone at a restaurant, your smartwatch will alert you when the connection is lost, and vice versa. Currently, the Pixel Watch doesn’t do this, but Android Authority has seen lines of code in its companion app that indicate such a feature could be on the way.
The code found stipulates that your phone will alert you if your Pixel Watch is left behind, although a separate teardown last June, again by Android Authority, indicated that this also worked in the reverse scenario.
It appears that only certain models of the Pixel Watch will be compatible with this feature, and both devices require Bluetooth to be turned on for it to work. The feature will also automatically lock the device left behind, a useful addition to prevent security breaches.
Right now, it’s unclear when the feature will make its way to Pixel Watch owners. But given that this appears to have been in the works for a few months now, there’s a good chance we’ll have to wait for a Google Pixel Watch 5 to see it, with the feature advertised as an incentive to upgrade.
Google is slowly catching up with Apple
Useful additions like “left behind” notifications and other background features that make smartwatches extremely useful are exactly what Google needs to lure people over to the Android ecosystem.
While much of Google’s buzz is around the Gemini these days, it seems its smartwatch has been all but forgotten. It’s a shame, because Google’s flagship smartwatch has been slowly getting better every year, and it’s now at the point where I’d really recommend most Android users get a Pixel Watch to fulfill their smartwatch needs.
They offer different sizes, longer battery life, great fitness features via Fitbit, some fun design choices, repair options – and add an ecosystem that works just as well as Apple’s, and the Pixel Watch is a true Apple Watch rival in terms of quality.
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