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Google is quietly building richer gesture controls for Pixel Watches, according to a teardown of the latest Pixel Watch app. The discovery hints at new ways to answer calls, manage notifications and even operate the camera — all without touching the screen.
What the teardown revealed
Code extracted from the newest Pixel Watch app shows Google is working on at least two gesture families. The first is a double-pinch gesture that could be used to answer calls, interact with notifications and trigger photos. The second is a return of wrist-turn gestures — previously available through Wear OS 3 — to silence incoming calls and dismiss alerting notifications with a simple flick of the wrist.
How the new gestures would work in practice
Imagine your smartwatch responding to natural hand movements rather than tiny taps. Based on the app strings and flags uncovered in the teardown, expect behavior like:
- Double pinch: Answer calls, operate camera shutter, and take quick actions on notifications.
- Wrist turn: Rotate your wrist to silence a ringing phone or close a notification without unlocking the watch.
These gestures lean on motion sensors and are designed to speed up common tasks when your hands are otherwise occupied — for example, answering a call while carrying groceries or snapping a quick photo with one hand.
When will these arrive — Pixel Drop or a Wear OS update?
Although the features are clearly under development, Google has not announced a release timeline. It’s unclear whether the gestures will appear in an upcoming Pixel Drop update or will wait for a broader Wear OS release. That ambiguity is common with teardown findings: they reveal what companies are testing, not necessarily when (or if) those features ship.
Why this matters for smartwatch users
Gesture controls can transform the wearable experience by reducing reliance on touch and voice. For Pixel Watch owners, returning wrist-turn gestures and adding double-pinch actions would bring convenience and accessibility improvements — small changes that feel big in daily use.
For now, keep an eye on Pixel-focused updates and Wear OS release notes. When Google flips the switch, these subtle yet powerful gesture controls could make the Pixel Watch feel notably smarter and more intuitive.
Source: gsmarena
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