Pixel Watch 5’s AI face generator keeps it feeling fresh [Gallery]

Google’s Pixel Watch 5 isn’t a radically new redesign, but it does bring some welcome improvements. And while I’m still struggling with mixed feelings about using generative AI today, the Pixel Watch 5’s AI watch face generator has been a surprising delight. I’m a smartwatch user for a variety of reasons, from notifications to health tracking, but a pretty big part of it is customization. If you were a traditional watchmaker, you would probably have dozens of watches to change depending on the day. But, with the Pixel Watch, I’ve really taken to changing watch faces and bands to suit what I’m feeling on that particular day. So when Google first showed me this new feature that allows me to create a new watch face with just a voice command, I was immediately intrigued to try it out in person. This is an extension of Gemini Intelligence on the Pixel Watch 5 and, unlike the rest of the catalog, it is a point that Google does not talk much about. For example, it is not mentioned anywhere in the Google Store listing. It works more or less as you would expect. Go to change your watch face, tap the big “Create” button, and Google will let you describe the face you want or choose from a variety of guided categories. In that sense, it’s not that different from the AI-generated wallpapers on Pixel phones. Advertisement: Scroll to see more content. But “Create Your Own” is where this really shines. Using voice commands, you can simply describe what you want and Google will give you the result in about 10 to 20 seconds. While the main styles are always a vertical digital face, a vertical digital face with complication arches, or a horizontal face with a single complication, the actual digits and theme are up to your imagination. You can be surprisingly specific with the design. If you don’t like the results, the “Try Again” button will retry the existing message and generate a new result. I’ve had a lot of fun with this, pairing my watch face with my bracelet or with some vibrant colored t-shirts. Here are a couple of creations I’ve been using this week. The blue dial was generated using the prompt “make a clock face using blue and white colors in a marble pattern”, while the yellow and purple one was “make a clock face using yellow and purple colors with a lava-like dot pattern”. The biggest problem is that this is locked to specific layouts. Even if you ask specifically, there is no way to get an analog watch face. I’m sure this can be added later, but it seems like a pretty big oversight on Google’s part. Still, this has been a nice update to the experience. Aside from the updated gestures that really change the way you use the Pixel Watch 5 (more on that in Abner’s review), I think it’s my favorite update this year. Technically speaking, I’m sure Google could implement a version of this feature on existing hardware. The extra power and memory on the Pixel Watch 5 surely plays a role in making this feature usable on the actual smartwatch, but there’s nothing that says you can’t just download this to the phone, create the face in the Pixel Watch app, and then send it. If Google ever expands this to older generations, that’s the only way I can see it happening. Pixel Watch 5 is available now starting at $399. More about Google Pixel: Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram FTC: We use automatic affiliate links to generate income. Further.