Using the Pixel Watch 4 on a day-to-day basis feels similar to that of the Pixel Watch 3. It follows the same setup process and features the same control scheme. The watch ships with a new quick-charge docking station instead of a magnetic puck, a quick start guide, warranty information, and small and large versions of your selected watch band.
The watch comes with two strap sizes (Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Attaching the watch band is easy once you know what you’re doing. To secure the band to the watch, press the button on the side of the watch face using the band, then slide it into the slot to lock it in place. Pressing the button with the band installed allows you to slide it back if you want to switch to a different strap. The button is easy enough to press even with short nails.
To power on the watch, hold down the crown for three seconds. From there, use the Google Pixel Watch app on your phone to sync the smartwatch and complete the setup process. The app guides you through the process, which involves signing in to your Google account, reviewing the terms and conditions, and setting various permissions, such as location. You’ll then indicate your wrist of choice and the orientation of the buttons, and then you can sync the watch to the Fitbit app for exercise and sleep tracking.
Next, the app guides you through the various safety features of the watch, including satellite communications, earthquake alerts, pulse loss detection, emergency contacts, and automatic emergency location sharing. You can then optionally set up an unlock pattern or PIN and Google Wallet, and the app will prompt you to download a customizable list of recommended apps. The watch then updates its software and installs the apps of your choosing to finish the process.
To control the watch, swipe up on the home screen for notifications. Swipe down for a quick panel of settings, including various modes such as Battery Saver, Do Not Disturb, and Sleep, as well as other features like Water Lock, Flashlight, and an option to broadcast your heart rate to nearby fitness devices.
Swipe right from the left edge to go back a page as you browse. Swipe left or right on the home screen to scroll through a customizable list of information tiles; options include Alarms, Contacts, Exercise, Google Maps, Safety Check, Sleep, and Weather. For this Wear OS generation, these tiles have been condensed to display more information, whereas they typically only showed a single stat in the past.
The Pixel Watch 4 has a physical crown and a side button (Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Rotate the crown button on the side to scroll through web pages or your app drawer. Press it when on the home screen to open your app drawer, or from any other screen to return to the home screen. Double-tap the crown to access Google Pay, press it five times to start an SOS call, or hold it down to access the power menu. The side button opens a list of recently used apps with a single press, or summons the watch’s digital assistant when you press and hold.
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You can change the watch face by long-pressing the screen or using the Pixel Watch app on your phone. That app also lets you customize tiles, the quick menu, physical controls, and other settings, such as notifications, as well as enable additional safety features, including atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) detection.
Use the Pixel Watch app for settings, and the Fitbit app for detailed sleep and exercise tracking (Credit: Google/PCMag)
Once the watch is set up, you can mostly ignore the Pixel Watch app, and you’ll instead interact with the data collected by the watch in the well-organized Fitbit app. The main Today tab of the Fitbit app displays a curated overview of your stats, allowing you to dive into any one in particular with a tap. The Coach tab offers curated workouts with a Fitbit Premium membership, while the You tab allows you to manage your profile and membership settings.
I wish I could manage my watch and access my health data from a single smartphone app, but Apple and Samsung watches both require using three apps instead of two, so Google is more efficient in this regard.