Overview
- Google has rolled out Wear OS 6.1 based on Android 16 QPR2 at API level 36.1, with emulator build BP4A.250916.026.E2 available in Android Studio.
- Watches have not received the update yet, and coverage suggests Pixel Watch models are likely to get it first before other brands.
- The release adds location-based time zone detection so a watch can set the local time from its position, which helps travelers and works even without a network connection.
- Kids’ accounts can now “graduate” to standard accounts at the age of consent, and improved reauthentication lets users verify their Google Account without a factory reset after a password change.
- Google says there are no app behavior changes for developers, though one report flagged confusion over documentation that labeled 6.1 as a “new release.”