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How to set up your new Pixel Watch 2: Top tips, faces, apps, and bands

Customization is one of the best aspects of a smartwatch compared to its mechanical counterparts. Google’s wearable is no exception, and here are some tips on getting started with the Pixel Watch 2.

Screen settings & battery life

Some people already know on which wrist they like to wear accessories, but try playing around with the Pixel Watch orientation settings. Unlike mechanical watches, you can flip the device around and still have it visually work. Another consideration is how not having the crown face what your hands point to will help reduce accidental bumping/activations.

You should give the Always-on screen a try, especially on the Pixel Watch 2. The new Snapdragon W5 chipset makes it absolutely possible to get a full day of battery life. Try it out for at least a few days. Turn off Tilt-to-wake and enable Touch-to-wake, as we’ve found this AOD configuration saves battery life.

On the topic of battery life, it will improve after a few days of usage. The first day is not at all representative. If you’re curious, Google’s “24 hours with always-on display” Pixel Watch 2 specification is “based on the following usage“:

  • 240 notifications
  • 280 time checks
  • A five-minute LTE phone call
  • 45 minutes of LTE and GPS workout with downloaded YouTube music playback
  • 50 minutes of navigation (Google Maps) while connected to a phone via Bluetooth
  • Seven hours’ sleep with Bedtime mode
  • Always-on display turned on

Customize app notifications

Speaking of alerts, you can turn off phone app notifications on a case-by-case basis from the Watch app > Notifications. This is a good way to make sure your wrist isn’t inundated with vibrations and should further conserve battery life.

Try Watch Unlock

Even if the fingerprint scanner and face authentication work for you, set up Watch Unlock. It performs well in the background with a buzz on your wrist being the main indication it was active. Sometimes, I’m triaging on the lockscreen and not actively planning to unlock until something gets my attention, and I find my phone ready to go.

Go to your Pixel phone’s Settings app > Security & privacy > Device unlock > Fingerprint & Face Unlock > Watch Unlock.

Pixel Watch faces & complications

Google did a good job of providing high-quality watch faces out of the box. Most people will be happy sticking to the 25 defaults, which contain a wide variety of customization options.

Before starting to customize watch faces (and Tiles), make sure your Pixel Watch and apps in the Play Store are all up-to-date. Some features aren’t available until you’re running the latest versions.

  • If you like the time in analog, check out Classic, Dial, and Pilot. The hour hands are hollow so complications can be more easily viewed. 
    • Try turning seconds off for a more unobstructed analog face. 
  • Analog Arcs offers the most complication slots (four circular + four arc), while remaining rather traditional.
    • Analog Bold is also fun with an emphasis on large numbers.
  • Speaking of complications, don’t feel obligated to fill every slot in or even arrange things so they’re symmetrical.
    • While Wear OS offers a Now Playing shortcut when audio is playing at the bottom of your watch face, adding a dedicated Media controls complication is worth it as it remains persistent. You can use it to resume songs even when the system indicator is gone.
  • If you want a one-line digital clock, use Utility’s Minimal Layout or Large Scale’s Linear (adds the day/date) instead of Track.
    • Everyday’s Big Layout is also a good alternative to Big Time.
  • Index’s small line-style complications aren’t for everyone, but the left-hand digital clock is nice (if you wear the Pixel Watch on your right wrist). This lets you quickly pull up your sleeve to quickly glance at the time.
  • Don’t sleep on Concentric’s Half Dial Layout or Digital Bold’s Radial with three complications.
  • Use Bold Time whenever possible to aid glanceability.
  • Some watch faces support dual colors at the end of the carousel: Abstract, Analog, Big Time, and Track.

Wear OS apps

For 2023, Google Play named WhatsApp as the Best for Watches with a pair of nice Tiles. AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run and Audible: Audio Entertainment were honorable mentions. Todoist, last year’s winner, is a dedicated app for to-dos, while the new Google Calendar offers built-in Tasks integration. Gmail was the other big addition this year, while Google Home continues to get updates.

Tiles

Speaking of Gmail and Google Calendar, both apps come with new Tiles. The “Next tasks” Tile is quite nice, while there continues to be a large complement from Fitbit. The Weather ones (Forecast, UV Index, and Sun) are beautifully laid out.

When ordering, take advantage of how you can swipe left and right for Tiles. Instead of putting your most important Tiles in sequential order, put the second-most vital one on the other side of the watch face. This makes navigation to desired Tiles a great deal faster.

Pixel Watch bands & straps

Google’s Active Band is a jack of all trades that can be worn all day and night. If you have experience with the Apple Watch’s Sports Band, Google’s is much more secure due to the double tuck-in nature.

The Active Sport Band is pretty similar, but I’ve found the clasp to require more effort than expected.

Notable third-party bands include the Spigen Lite Fit made of nylon and Ringke’s classic Leather One Band.

If you have your own preferred standard watch strap, the trick remains using Google’s Crafted or Two-Tone Leather Bands for their adapters, the pieces of metal that actually connect to the watch. It’s an expensive route to go down, but it will provide the highest quality experience.


Share your Pixel Watch setup in the comments below!

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com