Google has a major update planned for the Pixel Watch that will now allow you to make payments by simply touching the watch to a retail terminal , without having to open the Wallet app. The feature, called “ express pay ,” will be available on the Pixel Watch 2 and later models.
This feature is similar to “express mode” on the Apple Watch, a feature that lets you use compatible cards without waking up or unlocking your device. However, Google notes that users will have to opt in to use the new express pay feature and that the watch will need to be unlocked for the payment to take place.
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Before this update, Pixel Watch users had to double-tap the crown of the device to open the Wallet app and make a payment. Google already allows Watch users to pay for transportation services without opening the Wallet app.
Pixel Watch: Quick payments and other features
There are also a few other features coming to the Pixel Watch 2 and later. In addition to automatically locking your phone when you're out of range, Google is adding a feature that will alert you when you leave your phone behind. Both of these features work with the Pixel 8 and later.
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Additionally, Google is trying to make authentication faster when your watch and phone are connected, allowing you to perform sensitive actions — like turning off Find My Device — by adding a PIN. This, Google says, will speed up the process. This feature is only available with the Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel 8 Pro and later ( excluding Pixel 8 and Pixel 8A).
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The March update also brings Find Hub to the original Pixel Watch and other Wear OS watches, adds new one-handed gestures to the Pixel Watch 3 , and expands the Satellite SOS on the Pixel Watch 4 to more locations, including Europe, Canada, Hawaii, and Alaska.
