Two months after launching the Pixel Watch 4, Google has begun delivering a fresh wave of updates to its latest wearable. Engadget’s managing editor, Cherlynn Low, awarded the watch an admirable score of 86 in her review, although she noted the absence of intuitive gesture controls. The newest software additions aim to address that gap with a set of one-handed shortcuts.
Given how often smartwatch makers draw ideas from one another, it is hardly shocking that these new controls feel familiar. The double pinch gesture mirrors the double tap action found on the Apple Watch. Pixel Watch 4 owners will now be able to tap their thumb and forefinger together twice on the same hand to answer or end calls, pause timers and carry out similar quick tasks. The watch will even show subtle prompts on the display to suggest times when a double pinch might be helpful.
Google has also introduced wrist turn, which operates in a similar fashion to Apple’s wrist flick. With this motion, users can decline incoming calls or perform other dismissive actions simply by turning their wrist.
The Pixel Watch 4 already supports rotating the wrist to move through notifications, and users can activate Gemini by lifting their wrist towards their mouth. That particular interaction can be temperamental, as it requires starting from the home screen and holding a precise angle. To improve reliability, Google is releasing a new guided tutorial that walks users through the raise to talk feature step by step, which should make the gesture easier to master over time.
