[Update: Fix available, ‘H MR1’] Latest Wear OS update for Fossil Sport breaks always-on display

Ben Schoon | Jun 23 2020 - 7:35 am PT

Next generation Fossil watches fossil sport wear os smartwatch

Google’s Wear OS platform has gotten a bit better over the past few years, but as with any software, bugs can happen. Recently, the Fossil Sport picked up an update to Wear OS H, and it’s causing problems with the always-on display for many users.

This most recent update for the Fossil Sport finally delivers on some long-awaited features including Fossil’s battery saver modes from its Gen 5 watches. It also delivered on Wear OS H, an update released by Google in 2018, which includes features such as a proper power/reboot menu.

Unfortunately, this update is also delivering some very annoying bugs. Android Police first highlighted reports from Fossil Sport users who noticed problems with this latest update.

The most annoying hiccup here is with the always-on display. For whatever reason, the Fossil Sport won’t stay in its normal mode for very long, instead switching right back to the always-on display as seen in the GIF below (via Reddit).

Another notable bug is simply battery drain. Some users are reporting severe battery drain following the update on Fossil Sport, perhaps related to the always-on display woes.

Whatever is going on behind the scenes, Fossil is aware and preparing to fix the issue. In a statement, the company said:

Fossil is aware of a reported issue as a result of a recent update. Rest assured our team is currently working on a fix! We always appreciate the feedback so that we can quickly improve our customer experience.

It’s great that Fossil is aware, but based on its past track record, this update might take a while to arrive. Hopefully, Fossil busts out a fix for this problem sooner rather than later.

Update 6/23: Speaking to 9to5Google, Fossil confirmed that this update has been released and has been rolling out to users since the start of June. Some users on Reddit recently picked up the update on their Fossil Sport units, mentioning that the update is version “H MR1” and comes with the April 2020 security patch, too.

In a statement, Fossil says:

Several issues related to AoD were resolved in a software update at the beginning of June. We are also continuing to roll out improvements and updates throughout the upcoming months.