Pixel Watch set to gain Always-On Media controls by year’s end

Currently, the latest Wear OS 6 software on the Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Watch 2 lacks support for keeping media controls visible on the always-on display. However, Google plans to roll this out in the coming months. One key feature in Wear OS 6 lets the most recent active screen stay in view and ready to use even when the watch shifts to its low-power ambient mode.

Google highlighted this with an example of how the playing track and playback buttons would stick around on screen, even if you’re not actively using the watch. On the left side of the illustration, you can see the fresh Material 3 design for media controls, which recently launched on the Pixel Watch 4 alongside the Wear OS 6 upgrade for the older Pixel Watch 2 and 3 models.

Google added a simple music note symbol to the watch face complication and the bottom area. In the ambient view on the right, the colorful background dims to a dark shade, while the control buttons turn into subtle outlines and the clock time shows up clearly at the top. This setup mirrors what happens with Google Maps directions or notes in Google Keep.

This enhancement isn’t available on any watches just yet. Google shared this week that it aims to deliver the media controls tweak to Pixel Watch users sometime later in the year. That likely extends to every device running Google’s Wear OS 6. As for when, the following big Pixel Watch software push is expected around December.

For the time being, things work the old way: the full media controls screen gets a blur effect, with the time stamped right in the middle over it. On another note, Google is working on a fix for a hassle with the Gemini app on your phone. If you swap accounts there—like from personal to work—you currently have to redo the setup on your watch, which means heading back to the phone each time.