Overview
- Google disclosed Wednesday it had quietly released Wear OS 6.1, which is live in the Android Studio emulator but not yet on any watches.
- Smartwatches on Wear OS 6.1 can now set the time zone from their physical location, keeping accurate time even offline through a new Date & Time setting.
- The update adds a Kids graduation flow that converts a supervised account to a standard profile once the user reaches the age of consent, removing parental controls.
- Re‑authentication now happens on the watch or companion app after password or account changes, which spares users from doing a factory reset.
- Built on Android 16 QPR2 at API level 36.1, the release brings no app behavior changes for developers, and coverage suggests Pixel Watch 4 is likely to get it first with broader rollouts to follow.