[U: Stuck on 'Preparing to update'] Google Pixel Watch not receiving December OTA or stuck in update mode? Here are some quick solutions

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on December 07, 2022) follows:

Google has started rolling out the December OTA update for all Pixel Watch users including Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and LTE models.

The update includes single-tap support for enabling/disabling battery saver along with various bug fixes for issues like the watch face not displaying correct data.

Having said that, there is presently a problem where some Google Pixel Watch users are not receiving the December OTA update.

Users say that they have checked the system update section multiple times but they haven’t received this update yet.

The implementation began earlier this week, but it appears to be delayed, raising some concern among Pixel Watch owners.

I have tried to follow all the steps given (ie 100% charge, watch connecte to wifi, turning off bluetooth etc), still i cant get the watch to update the software…its tell me your watch is uptodate Android version 11, 1 July 2022. sigh
Source

My watch still shows up to date on the July update. How do I get this?
Source

Some additional Pixel Watch users who received this patch appear to be stuck in the update mode, according to reports.

As per affected users, when they click on the notification to update their watch, a screen that reads ‘Preparing to update’ appears and they are stuck on it ever since.

Users have plugged the watch into a charger, connected to a WiFi network, and even waited for an extended period of time with no success.

Some people attempted to reset or power down the watch by pressing and holding the crown, but neither option was accessible.

Watch won’t download a software update. Works fine. Went to download the software update and it has been saying it downloading the update for like 4 hours.
Source

My watch is frozen and the face says “wear os system update” and “Preparing to update”
the watch cant be shut off or reset. All frozen
Source

Fortunately, we have stumbled across a potential workaround for users who those yet to receive the OTA update. It involves taping multiple times on the checkmark in the system updates:

Users that are stuck in update mode need to restart the watch and then turn Bluetooth off in order to force it to download the update via WiFi.

Here are steps to restart the Pixel Watch:

Press and hold both the crown and side buttons for 3 seconds or until your watch shuts off

We hope Google resolves these issues as soon as possible so that people can experience the new features and bug fixes.

If the aforementioned workarounds helps you with the Google Watch update issue, please let us know in the comments section below.

03:44 pm (IST): Here’s a workaround suggested by a Redditor that might help you fix this issue. You can check it out below.

Mine wouldn’t respond until I connected it to the charger. At that point, I went to system update and it was almost immediate. (Source)

02:26 pm (IST): If you still haven’t received December update on your Pixel Watch, then here’s another workaround that might help you fix this problem.

08:48 am (IST): Multiple reports indicate that there are Google Pixel users whose smartwatches are getting stuck on ‘preparing to update’ when trying to install the January update (1, 2, 3).

09:48 am (IST): Some users have suggested that hard resetting the Google Pixel Watch resolved this issue for them:

Hold the crown and the button just above the crown together until the watch reboots. Don’t let go of either button until the watch reboots.
Source

09:55 am (IST): Pixel Watch February 2023 update has been rolling out in stages for a few days. However, some users are reporting that they are getting stuck on ‘Preparing to update’ while installing it.

Luckily, there are some workarounds that might help you fix this problem. You can check them out below.

Workaround 1:

Yeah same thing happened to me.. had to hold the crown and the button above it till it restarted and then Install the update again. Good to go now! (Source)

Workaround 2:

To force the update to start, go to System > System Update and then when it shows what your current version installed is, there should be a little watch icon on the top… tap that consistently until the update starts. (Source)

Note: You can also check out our Google Pixel Watch update and bug/issue tracker for more related coverage.

Featured image source: Google

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