Wear OS 5.1 update brings notification issues and other bugs for some Pixel Watch users

Google's Pixel line didn't receive any updates from November 2024 until the March 2025 patch. This sizeable Wear OS 5.1 update introduced a handful of nifty features, including new media controls, better pulse detection, and menstrual cycle tracking. However, per user reports, it's also causing delayed notifications and other issues.

To be specific, a handful of Pixel Watch 2 (WiFi model curr. $199.99 on Amazon) and Watch 3 users have reported that they are facing notification issues. Per the reports, the notifications are either delayed or missing. While this may not seem like a major issue, the OTA update has also introduced other bugs to the smartwatches.

Among them are sudden crashes while editing the watch face, unresponsive touchscreen, and delayed Fitbit sync. Of course, these other issues don't seem to be as common as the notification problem. As of now, there's no easy fix that Pixel Watch users can do to get rid of these issues. To be exact, some users have even tried a factory reset and couldn't remove them.

It's worth noting that some users have reported that restarting the smartwatch tends to fix the problems, but only temporarily. The good part is that Google seems to be aware of the Wear OS 5.1 issues. A spokesperson from the company said that the company is working on an OTA fix that will address the notification issues and the other bugs. This OTA is expected to land before June 2025.