Google Adds 5 Android Watch Features, Including Express Pay and Satellite SOS
Updated
Updated · Boy Genius Report · May 24
Google Adds 5 Android Watch Features, Including Express Pay and Satellite SOS
2 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · May 24
Five recent Android watch additions span payments, messaging, safety and device tracking, with Google highlighting Express Pay, on-device AI replies, Satellite SOS, earthquake alerts and phone-finding tools.
March 2026 updates let Pixel Watch 2 and newer tap to pay without opening Wallet, while Wear OS 6.1 also brought faster controls such as always-on media controls and new Double Pinch and Wrist Turn gestures.
Pixel Watch 3 and 4 gained on-device Smart Replies based on Google's Gemma models, which Google says are twice as fast and nearly three times more memory-efficient, including when a cellular watch is away from a phone.
Safety and tracking features are more limited by hardware: Satellite SOS needs a Pixel Watch 4 LTE and Android 11 phone, while phone-left-behind alerts require a Pixel 8 or newer paired with a Pixel Watch 2 or newer.
The rollout remains uneven: Wear OS 6.1 reached Pixel Watch 2, 3 and 4 in December, but the original Pixel Watch stays on Wear OS 5.1 and misses the new features.
Are smartwatch makers prioritizing new AI features over the basic stability and security of their devices?
Why did Google’s latest smartwatch update erase vital health data for users across all models?