Google today silent released Use OS 6.1, but it is not available on any watch yet.
Officially, “Wear OS 6.1 is based on a Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) of Android 16 (API level 36.1).” Specifically, that is Android 16 QPR2 released in December as the first minor version of the SDK.
The latest version .1 of the platform was Use 5.1 operating system In November 2024, it brought a big update to Android 15 (previously 14).
Google says that “this version of Wear OS does not introduce any behavioral changes” for app developers.
As for new features, Wear OS 6.1 “can now automatically set (your) time zone based on (your) physical location.” This location-based time zone setting “helps device time stay accurate when users travel between regions, even on devices without a network connection.” There is a user preference to control this in Settings > Date & time > Use location.
There are also “refined kids experiences” in Wear OS 6.1 for “supervised accounts and standalone watches for kids.”
- children’s graduation: When a user with a supervised account reaches the age of consent, they can “graduate” to an unsupervised account. This transitions the device into a standard Wear OS experience, removing parental controls and giving the user full access to the device’s settings.
- Improved reauthentication support– If users’ credentials are invalidated, they can now re-validate their Google Account directly on their watch or through the companion app. This capability eliminates the need for a factory reset if the user changes their password or changes their account details after completing the initial device setup.
Starting today, BP4A.250916.026.E2 is available in the Android Studio emulator. Presumably it will come to the Pixel Watch as the next quarterly update.
More about Wear OS:
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