The auto-unlock experience on Android and Chrome OS devices would be improved with Wear OS, Google revealed earlier this year.
To replace “Smart Lock,” which allows a Bluetooth device to keep an Android smartphone unlocked, “Smart Unlock” will be implemented. Using Smart Unlock on a Wear OS device, the smartwatch will display confirmation that the device has been unlocked, as well as an option to re-lock the device, on its display.
Google Pixel Watch is mentioned in the “Smart Unlock” prompt, but not without also stating “Google Pixel Watch App,” thanks to 9to5Google’s efforts.
Use the Google Pixel Smart Watch app to pair your watch with your phone and enable Smart Unlock. To utilise Smart Unlock, you must have your watch and phone linked.
Google’s Pixel Watch will not utilise the Wear OS companion app, but rather a separate app for the Google Pixel Watch. Like Google’s Pixel Buds, we expect this to have a separate audio app. For Google’s Pixel Watch, the dedicated companion app should give an entirely new experience from prior Wear OS smartwatches.
Last month, the Google Pixel Watch was introduced at Google I/O, and its introduction is scheduled to coincide with the launch of the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at Google’s Fall hardware event, which generally takes place sometime between September 15 and October 15.