Google is now rolling out Wear OS 4 for the original Pixel Watch. To recap, the company showcased the OS update months ago, which Samsung subsequently released as One UI 5 Watch for the Galaxy Watch4 through Galaxy Watch6 series. Earlier this month, Google then debuted Wear OS 4 in its stock form via the Pixel Watch 2, which launched alongside the Pixel 8 series.
In short, Google's latest version of Wear OS introduces two major changes to its smartwatch platform. On the one hand, it is finally possible to back up smartwatch data, should you need to switch smartphones. Incidentally, it is also possible to simply transfer your Pixel Watch to a new smartphone rather than backing up, unpairing and then restoring.
On the other hand, Google has reworked its watch face format to eliminate executable code. Thus, the Pixel Watch should have additional performance headroom and improved battery life, although it remains to be seen by how much. Unfortunately, Google has decided against bringing across any Pixel Watch 2 watch faces to its predecessor, including Adventure, Analog Arcs and Analog Bold, among others. Additionally, Bedtime mode and DND synchronisation with Pixel smartphones remain a Pixel Watch 2 exclusive.
As usual, Google will release Wear OS 4 to the Pixel Watch in batches. Thus, it could take a few days for your smartwatch to receive a notification that the update is ready to download. However, it is worth noting that your Pixel Watch must be running Wear OS 3.5 first before Google will allow it to move onto Wear OS 4.