Pixel Watch rolling out rich Wear OS media controls: Queue, Shuffle, & more

Abner Li | Apr 24 2025 - 8:54 am PT

After teasing with the March 2025 Feature Drop, Google has rolled out rich media controls for the Pixel Watch.

Last month, Google teased the upgrade as such:

“Make it easier to control audio content from the watch with control types based on content being played (such as Podcasts within YouTube music).”
“Manage your favorite audio content with new actions on Pixel Watch to fast forward and rewind, adjust playback speed or control playback queue.”

Previously, system media controls on the Pixel Watch just let you play/pause, next/previous, and adjust volume. This is in addition to track information for what’s playing on your phone.

Those actions are now joined by the ability to see your Up Next queue by tapping the new button at the left. This shows the next 24 songs (in the case of YouTube Music) with the ability to tap and start playback immediately.

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Meanwhile, the three-dot overflow button at the right lets you shuffle, thumbs up, and repeat a track (in YTM). You also get another pill for Up Next.

In the case of podcasts (in YouTube Music), you can change playback speed, with each tap increasing the increment. There’s also the ability to move to the next or previous episode.

Not all apps support these upgraded Pixel Watch media controls. The screenshot below is from Pocket Casts (playing on my phone) where the additional capabilities are grayed out.

We’re seeing this on a Pixel Watch 3 running Wear OS 5.1, while you should make sure “Wear Media” in the on-watch Play Store is fully up-to- date (version 1.6.7.x).