Google adds one-handed gestures and faster smart replies in latest Pixel Watch 4 update

Google has just announced a Pixel Watch 4 update that finally adds one-handed gestures. This update brings a couple of practical hands-free controls that allow you to use the watch when your hands are busy. The Double Pinch gesture lets you control the watch by pinching your index finger and thumb together twice. This action allows you to answer or end calls, pause timers, snooze alarms, take photos, control music, and interact with notifications.

It works similarly to gesture systems found on Apple and Samsung devices by using a tapping motion between the thumb and index finger. The Pixel Watch 4 is also getting the Wrist Turn gesture, which lets you dismiss incoming calls and close alerting notifications by quickly turning your wrist out and in.

Across Wear OS, Google will show Gesture Hints, including directly over buttons or near the scroll bar to show when they are available. You'll also be able to customize how often these prompts appear through the settings menu, with frequency options ranging from daily to just once. All of this can be managed in Settings > Gestures > Hand gestures, where you can turn each option on or off individually.

Google is also improving Smart Replies on the Pixel Watch 3 and 4 through a new on-device language model based on Gemma. This new model performs two times as fast and is nearly three times more efficient in terms of memory usage compared to the previous approach. The company has also added a step-by-step tutorial for the Raise to Talk feature to help new users learn how to use the assistant without touching the screen.