Accessibility features on Google Pixel Watch

You can customize Google Pixel Watch with accessibility settings to help you customize your experience.

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

Setup Shortcut for TalkBack

During the initial setup of your Google Pixel Watch, you can quickly enable TalkBack (our screen reader) by triple-tapping the side button next to the crown when prompted.

Accessing Accessibility Settings

You can manage accessibility features directly on your watch or through the companion app on your phone.

• On Google Pixel Watch:
  1. Press the crown to open your app list.
  2. Tap Settings .
  3. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
     • From here, you can turn on features and adjust various settings.
• In the Google Pixel Watch app on your phone:
  1. On your phone, open the Google Pixel Watch app .
  2. Swipe down on the home screen and tap Accessibility.
     • This menu allows you to toggle and adjust accessibility settings for your watch.

Vision Enhancement Features

These features are designed to assist users with visual impairments, ranging from low vision to blindness.

TalkBack (Screen Reader)

What it does: TalkBack provides spoken feedback, describing what you touch, select, and activate on your screen. It reads out on-screen items, notifications, and text, enabling navigation without needing to see the screen. It also supports BrailleBack for use with compatible braille displays.

• How to enable/disable:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings Accessibility TalkBack. Toggle the switch to On or Off. You can also adjust TalkBack settings like speech rate, verbosity, and haptic feedback here.
  • In the Google Pixel Watch app: Go to Accessibility TalkBack. Toggle the switch to On or Off.
• Navigating with TalkBack: Once enabled, use specific gestures:
  • Swipe right or left to move between items.
  • Double-tap anywhere on the screen to activate the selected item.
  • Use two fingers to scroll.
  • (Refer to the full TalkBack gestures guide for more advanced navigation.)

Magnification

• What it does: 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 two fingers across the screen to pan. Pinch with two fingers to adjust the zoom level.
• How to enable/disable:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings Accessibility  Magnification. Toggle the switch to On or Off.
  • In the Google Pixel Watch app: Go to Accessibility  Magnification. Toggle the switch to On or Off.

Text Size (Font Size)

• What it does: Increases or decreases the size of text displayed across the watch interface, making it easier to read for users with low vision.
• How to adjust:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Font size. Use the slider or +/- buttons to select your preferred text size.
  • In the Google Pixel Watch app: Go to Accessibility  Font size. Use the slider to select your preferred text size.

Color Correction

• What it does: Adjusts screen colors to help people with color vision deficiencies (color blindness) distinguish content more easily.
• Correction modes include:
  • Deuteranomaly (red-green)
  • Protanomaly (red-green)
  • Tritanomaly (blue-yellow)
• How to enable/adjust:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Color correction. Toggle the main switch On, then select your desired correction mode.

Reduce Animations

• What it does: Minimizes screen animations and visual effects, such as transitions when opening apps or navigating menus. This can be helpful for users who are sensitive to motion or prefer a simpler visual experience with less movement.
• How to enable/disable:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Reduce animations. Toggle the switch to On or Off.

Hearing Enhancement Features

These settings help users with hearing impairments to better experience audio and communication from their watch.

Audio Adjustment

Mono Audio:

• What it does: Combines stereo audio channels into a single mono channel that plays the same audio in both left and right connected Bluetooth headphones/speakers. This is beneficial for users with hearing loss in one ear, ensuring they don't miss any audio content.
• How to enable/disable:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Audio Adjustment  Mono audio. Toggle the switch to On or Off.

Audio Balance

• What it does: Adjusts the left/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.
• How to adjust:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Audio Adjustment  Audio balance. Drag the slider to the left or right to adjust the balance.

Real-Time Text (RTT)

• What it does: RTT allows you to use text to communicate during phone calls. As you type, the recipient sees the text in real time, making it useful for users who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a speech disability, or prefer text communication. Your carrier must support RTT.
• How to enable/use:
  • On your Pixel Watch: To manage RTT settings, go to Settings  Accessibility  Real time text (RTT) (or a similar RTT option).
  • When placing or receiving a call, an RTT option may appear if both devices and networks support it.
  • Note: Availability and specific steps may vary depending on your carrier and region.
• Text-to-speech Output
  • What it does: These settings allow you to customize the voice used for spoken output on your watch, such as the voice for TalkBack. Adjusting the speech rate, pitch, and preferred engine can help make spoken feedback clearer and more understandable based on your hearing preferences.
  • How to adjust (Only on Pixel Watch):
    • On your Pixel Watch, go to Settings  Accessibility  Text-to-speech output.
    • From here, you can adjust:
      • Speech Recognition and Synthesis:.
        • Language: Select the language for speech output.
        • You may also be able to play a sample or save default settings.
      • Speech rate: Make the voice speak faster or slower.

Interaction & Haptic Features

Customize how you interact with your watch and receive tactile feedback.

Gestures

• What it does: Pixel Watch may support specific accessibility gestures to navigate and control your watch using hand movements (e.g., Tilt-to-wake, Touch-to-wake, Rotate crown to wake, Screenshot etc.) without needing to touch the screen directly for common actions. These can help users with limited motor control.
• How to enable/customize:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Gestures. Here you can enable these gestures and see what actions they perform.
  • (Note: Specific gestures and their availability may vary or be introduced via software updates.)

Power Button Ends Call

• What it does: Allows you to quickly end an active phone call by pressing the watch's side button (next to the crown). This provides a simple, physical way to hang up.
• How to enable/disable:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Power button ends call. Toggle the switch to On or Off.

Vibration Watch (Time as Vibrations)

• What it does: Tells you the current time using distinct vibration patterns, allowing you to check the time discreetly without looking at the screen.
  • For example, it might use long vibrations for hours and short vibrations for minutes, or a specific sequence of taps. (e.g., a long vibe for each 10 hours, short vibe for single hours, then a different pattern for minutes).
• How to enable/use:
  • On your Pixel Watch: Go to Settings  Accessibility  Vibration Watch (or "Haptic Time," "Time in Haptics"). Toggle the feature On. You may also find options to customize the vibration pattern or strength.
  • Once enabled, you typically activate it by a specific gesture (e.g., double-tapping the screen with two fingers, or a specific button press sequence if defined).

Vibration & Haptics (General)

• What it does: Your Pixel Watch uses haptic feedback (vibrations) for general alerts like incoming calls, notifications, and alarms. This provides tactile cues that can be crucial for users who may not see or hear other alerts.
• How to adjust:
  • On your Pixel Watch:
    1. Go to Settings Vibration.
    2. Here you can adjust vibration intensity for:
       • Ring vibration: For incoming calls.
       • Notification vibration: For app notifications.
       • Alarm vibration: For alarms.
       • Touch feedback/System Haptics: (If available) Toggle for haptic feedback on general touch interactions and system navigation.
  • Note: Haptic feedback specifically for TalkBack is managed within TalkBack's own settings (Settings Accessibility TalkBack Haptic feedback).

 

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