Google Pixel Watch accessibility overview

Your Pixel Watch runs on Wear OS, which allows you to customize your Google Pixel Watch experience with its accessibility settings. Learn more about accessibility features on Wear OS.

• Review your Google Pixel watch settings for more ways to customize your device. On your watch, open Settings Accessibility.
• Check Google Play for accessibility apps and services compatible with Wear OS.

Important: Features may vary by device capability and software version.

Content

• Turn on accessibility features
• Use vision enhancement features
• Use hearing enhancement features
• Use interaction and haptic features
• Design and develop more accessible apps for Wear OS
• Get more help

Turn on accessibility features

Manage accessibility features directly on your watch or through the companion app on your phone.

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Press the crown to open your app list.
2. Tap Settings Accessibility.
3. Adjust the setting you want to change.

In the Google Pixel Watch app

1. On your phone, open the Google Pixel Watch app .
2. Scroll to the home screen.
3. Tap Accessibility to make adjustments.

Use vision enhancement features

These features are designed to assist you if you have a visual impairment that ranges from low vision to blindness.

TalkBack (Screen reader)

TalkBack provides spoken feedback as it describes what you touch, select, and activate on your screen. It reads out on-screen items, notifications, and text which enables navigation without the need to view the screen. It also supports BrailleBack that you can use with compatible braille displays.

Turn Talkback on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility TalkBack.
2. Turn TalkBack on or off.
   • You can also adjust TalkBack settings like speech rate, verbosity, and haptic feedback.

In the Google Pixel Watch app

1. Go to Accessibility TalkBack.
2. Turn TalkBack on or off.

Use gestures on your Pixel watch

• Move between items: Swipe right or left
• Activate a selected item: Double-tap anywhere on the screen
• To Scroll: Use 2 fingers

For more advanced navigation, go to Use Accessibility Features on Wear OS.

Setup Shortcut for TalkBack

During the initial setup of your Google Pixel Watch, triple-tap the side button next to the crown when prompted to quickly turn on TalkBack (Screen reader).

Magnification

Magnification allows you to zoom in on your watch screen for a closer look.

• Triple-tap to magnify: Once enabled, quickly tap the screen 3 times to zoom in. Triple-tap again to zoom out.
• Pan and adjust zoom: While magnified, drag 2 fingers across the screen to pan. Pinch with 2 fingers to adjust the zoom level.

Turn Magnification on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Magnification.
2. Turn Magnification on or off.

In the Google Pixel Watch app

1. Go to Accessibility Magnification.
2. Turn Magnification on or off.

Text size (Font size)

Increases or decreases the size of text displayed across the watch interface to make it easier to read if you have low vision.

Adjust text size

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Font size.
2. Use buttons or the slider to increase or decrease the text size.
   • Buttons: Tap plus or minus
   • Slider: Drag left or right

In the Google Pixel Watch app

1. Go to Accessibility Font size.
2. Drag the slider to the left or right to increase or decrease the text size.

Color correction

Adjust screen colors to help distinguish content more easily if you have a color vision deficiency (color blindness).

Correction modes

• Deuteranomaly (red-green)
• Protanomaly (red-green)
• Tritanomaly (blue-yellow)

Turn Color correction on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Color correction.
2. Turn Color correction on.
3. Select the correction mode you want to change.

Reduce animations

Reduce animations feature minimizes screen animations and visual effects, such as transitions when you open apps or navigate menus. This can be helpful if you’re sensitive to motion or prefer a simpler visual experience with less movement.

Turn Reduce animations on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Reduce animations.
2. Tap Reduce animations to turn it on or off.

Use hearing enhancement features

These settings help if you have hearing impairments to better experience audio and communication from your Google Pixel Watch.

Audio adjustment

Mono Audio

Mono audio combines stereo audio channels into a single mono channel that plays the same audio in both left and right connected Bluetooth headphones or speakers. This is beneficial if you have hearing loss in one ear to ensure that you don't miss any audio content.

Turn Mono Audio on or off on your Google Pixel Watch

1. Open Settings .
2. Go to Accessibility Audio Adjustment Mono Audio.
3. Tap Mono Audio to turn it on or off.

Audio balance

Audio balance adjusts the left or right volume balance for audio played through connected Bluetooth headphones or speakers. This is useful if you have better hearing in one ear than the other.

Adjust Audio balance on your Google Pixel Watch

1. Open Settings .
2. Go to Accessibility Audio Adjustment Audio balance.
3. Drag the slider to the left or right to adjust the balance.

Real-time text (RTT)

Real-time text (RTT) allows you to use text to communicate during phone calls. Your carrier must support RTT. When you type, the recipient can view the text in real time. This is ideal for users who navigate hearing or speech challenges, or simply prefer text communication.

Turn RTT on or off on your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Real time text (RTT) or a similar RTT option.

• When you place or receive a call, an RTT option may appear if both devices and networks support it.
• Availability and specific steps may vary depending on your carrier and region.

Text-to-speech output

Text-to-speech allows you to customize the voice used for spoken output on your watch, such as the voice for TalkBack. Adjust the speech rate, pitch, and preferred engine to help you make spoken feedback clearer and more understandable based on your hearing preferences.

Adjust Text-to-speech output on your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Text-to-speech output.
2. From here, you can adjust:

• Speech Recognition and Synthesis:
  • Language: Select the language for speech output. You can also play a sample or save default settings.
• Speech rate: Make the voice speak faster or slower.

Use interaction and haptic features

These features allow you to customize how you interact with your watch and receive tactile feedback.

Gestures

Specific accessibility gestures are available to navigate and control your Google Pixel Watch. With the use of hand movements, there’s no need to touch the screen directly for common actions. Some of these gestures are Tilt-to-wake, Touch-to-wake, Rotate crown to wake, Screenshot, and others. These can help you if you have limited motor control.

Manage gestures on your Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings  Accessibility Gestures.
2. Enable the gestures you want to change.
   • You can also check what actions these gestures perform.
   • Specific gestures and their availability may vary or be introduced through software updates.

Power button ends call

This feature allows you to quickly end an active phone call when you press the watch's side button (next to the crown). This provides a simple and physical way to hang up.

Turn Power button ends call on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Power button ends call.
2. Turn Power button ends call on or off.

Vibration Watch (Time as Vibrations)

Vibration Watch, Haptic Time, or Time in Haptics informs you of the current time using distinct vibration patterns. This allows you to check the time discreetly without the need to check the screen.

Sample Scenario: It might use long vibrations for hours and short vibrations for minutes, or a specific sequence of taps. For example, a long vibe for each 10 hours, short vibe for single hours, then a different pattern for minutes.

Turn Vibration Watch on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings   Accessibility Vibration Watch.
2. Turn Vibration Watch on or off.
   • You may also find options to customize the vibration pattern or strength.
   • Once enabled, you typically activate it by a specific gesture. For example, double-tapping the screen with 2 fingers, or a specific button press sequence if defined.

Vibration and Haptics (General)

General alerts like incoming calls, notifications, and alarms are delivered through haptic feedback (vibrations) on your Google Pixel Watch. This provides tactile cues that can be crucial if you can’t see or hear other alerts.

Turn Vibration Watch on or off

On your Google Pixel Watch

1. Go to Settings  Vibration.
2. Adjust vibration intensity for:
   • Ring vibration: For incoming calls
   • Notification vibration: For app notifications
   • Alarm vibration: For alarms
   • Touch feedback or System Haptics: (If available) For haptic feedback on general touch interactions and system navigation

• Haptic feedback, specifically for TalkBack, is managed within TalkBack's own settings:

1. Go to Settings .
2. Tap Accessibility TalkBack Haptic feedback.

Design and develop more accessible apps for Wear OS

If you create apps for Wear OS, learn about the tools and resources to help you make your apps more accessible for users:

• Accessibility on Wear OS
• Design for Wear OS

Get more help

We continuously work to improve accessibility on Google Pixel Watch. For further assistance or to provide feedback, please contact the Google Disability Support team.