Pixel Watch Gains New Gestures, But Google’s History With Wrist Control Reveals a Missed Opportunity
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Google this week released a significant update for the Pixel Watch 4, introducing intuitive one-handed gestures designed to streamline user interaction. However, a closer look at Google’s past experiments with wearable gestures reveals a potential for innovation that remains largely untapped.
This report is part of a revitalized 9to5Google newsletter, delivering in-depth analysis of the latest Google developments and insights.
The December 2025 update brings “double pinch” and “wrist turn” gestures to Pixel Watch 4 owners. According to Google, these new controls allow users to effortlessly scroll through and dismiss notifications, snooze alarms, manage timers and stopwatches, control music playback, select quick replies, and answer or end phone calls.
Initial impressions are positive. One user noted that the double-pinch gesture is particularly useful for quickly reviewing longer message notifications without interrupting current activities. While the wrist turn gesture is still being evaluated, early signs suggest potential for expanded functionality.
However, the rollout has sparked reflection on Google’s earlier forays into wearable gestures. “As a long-time Wear OS user, I can’t help but look back and wonder why Google isn’t doing a bit more,” one observer commented.
Google first implemented gestures on Wear OS – then known as Android Wear – a decade ago. The current “wrist turn” functionality is, in many ways, a reimagining of the “wrist flicks” feature from that era. The original wrist flicks offered broader utility, allowing users to scroll up or down with a simple motion regardless of the screen currently displayed, even from the watch face itself.
Another gesture allowed users to “shake” the watch to quickly return to the watch face, a feature described as “clunky” but occasionally helpful.
These gestures were removed in Wear OS 3, though Samsung later introduced a similar system heavily influenced by Apple Watch gestures. The removal was likely due to reliability issues and the impact on battery life, as the original wrist flicks were prone to misinterpretation and contributed to the battery drain common in early Android-based smartwatches. As one source pointed out, the “up” and “down” wrist flicks didn’t always register correctly, sometimes activating the wrong direction.
Despite the improvements in the new Pixel Watch gestures, a gap remains between the current implementation and the capabilities of the past. “The biggest upgrade in my book would be bringing back the wrist flick to open the notification feed from the watch face,” one analyst stated. The ability to quickly access the full notification stream with a single gesture remains a significant omission. A one-directional scrolling gesture, such as scrolling down only, could also improve reliability. Google’s increased sensitivity in the new version, requiring a more deliberate motion, suggests an awareness of the previous issues.
What do you think? Did Google do this better 10 years ago, or do you prefer the new iteration?
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