Users of Pixel Watch they will have to wait a few more months. However, at the end of this wait they will be able to get their hands on something new that promises to improve theirs daily experience with the Google smartwatch. The company has in fact confirmed that i multimedia controls with always-on display (AOD) will arrive on devices later this year.
At the moment, let’s remember that Wear OS 6 installed on the Pixel Watch 4, 3 and 2 does not support this feature, forcing users to manually wake the screen every time they want to change songs or adjust the volume. The rather annoying limitation will soon become just a memory.
How the new ambient mode will work
The step forward strongly desired by Google is linked to a fundamental change in the behavior of Wear OS 6.
With the new update, the main activity displayed on the screen will indeed remain visible and in state resumed even when the device enters system environmental mode. Simply put, what you are doing will continue to be shown on the screen, albeit in a simplified form.
Google provided the use of multimedia controls as an example. The song being played and the control buttons will remain visible even when the user is not actively interacting with the device, replicating an implementation similar to that already available for other applications such as Google Maps while browsing or Google Keep for notes.
The interface will intelligently adapt to the ambient mode.
Media controls redesigned according to Material 3 Expressive guidelines, already available on the Pixel Watch 4 and the Wear OS 6 update for previous models, will undergo a visual transformation when the screen switches to always-on mode.
The background with the album cover will gradually fade towards a black background, while the various control buttons will become barely visible outlines. The time will remain clearly legible at the top of the screen, ensuring that this vital information is always available at a glance.
Today, however, behavior is very different and, above all, much less practical. The entire media controls application becomes blurry when the screen enters ambient mode, with the time appearing overlaid in the center of the screen, making any interaction impossible without fully waking the display.
When the news will be available
Google specified this week that the update of the multimedia controls is expected later this year on Pixel Watches. According to the company’s statements, the feature should be available on all Google devices running Wear OS 6. Considering the calendar of quarterly updates, the next significant update for the Pixel Watch line should arrive in December, making that period the most likely candidate for the debut of this long-awaited innovation.
However, it is not the only improvement in the pipeline for Google’s smartwatches. The company is in fact working to solve a particularly annoying problem related to the app Gemini. Currently, when you change accounts in the Gemini app on your smartphone (for example, switching from personal to work), you also need to set up the app again on your smartwatch.
The process is particularly inconvenient because it necessarily requires intervention via telephone, interrupting the workflow and creating a user experience that is anything but fluid.
A small but significant detail
Finally, among the changes made by Google to the multimedia controls there is an aesthetic touch: theadding a musical note icon for the complication and at the bottom of the watch dial. A small detail that makes it immediately recognizable when the multimedia controls are active, improving the overall readability of the interface.
