Pixel Watch users hit with wave of bugs after Wear OS 5.1 update (Update: Google investigating)

Update: March 26, 2025 (9:16 AM ET): A Google spokesperson has shared the following statement with Android Authority:

We’re aware of an issue affecting a very small number of Pixel Watch users, where they are experiencing delayed notifications on their device after taking the March update. We are currently investigating the situation, and to address it as quickly as possible – we’ll share more details when a fix is ready.

Original article: March 24, 2025 (3:21 PM ET): Google began releasing Wear OS 5.1 for the Pixel Watch 3 and the generations before it earlier this month. The update just hit the LTE models last week. While the patch introduces some tweaks and features, it also appears to be causing a handful of issues for some users.

A growing number of reports are coming in about problems believed to be related to Wear OS 5.1. Several users on Reddit claim that after updating to the new firmware, notifications are arriving slower than usual. One user says, “my watch would vibrate but when I lifted up my wrist the notification wouldn’t show and I would just see the watch face.”

It appears the issues aren’t limited to just delayed notifications, either. Multiple comments also mention having trouble syncing to Fitbit and being unable to edit watch faces.

Although Google has yet to acknowledge the issue, there may be a workaround you can try. According to some of the users in these threads, resetting the device can temporarily fix the problem. Others suggest that doing a factory reset has solved some of the issues. We have reached out to Google for comment on the situation. This article will be updated once more information is available.