The Pixel Watch August 2023 security update finally tells us what's getting fixed

What you need to know

• The August 2023 security patch began rolling out on Monday, August 7, for the Pixel Watch.
• It "includes the latest security patches," but no new feature updates. 
• We recommend you install the patch quickly, as it fixes eight High-severity vulnerabilities.
• The Pixel phones, Tablet, and Fold also received security updates. 

The August 2023 update for the Google Pixel Watch has arrived. Like the previous two months, Google's changelog is light on details, only mentioning security patches and no new features. But in the Android Security Bulletin, Google gives us a glimpse of what exactly needs securing with its smartwatch. 

Google made a Pixel Watch-specific security bulletin back in June but hasn't actually posted any security fixes there since. So when the July 2023 patch rolled in, we only knew Google had patched some vulnerabilities behind the scenes.

Funnily enough, Google has another portion of the Android Security Bulletin for Wear OS. The entry for August 2023 lists eight High-level vulnerabilities: one for the Framework, one for the Platform, and six for the System. So we can only assume these problems are what the Pixel Watch August 2023 patch resolves.

In each case, these vulnerabilities let bad actors either access leaked personal info or escalate their system privilege without the watch owner actually doing anything wrong to trigger the problem. 

That's why even the most tech-savvy Pixel Watch users should update to version RWDC.230805.001 as soon as they receive the option. You can go to Settings > Software > Software update if you want to confirm whether or not an update has become available in your region. 

Otherwise, if you own other Pixel devices, the general August 2023 Pixel drop has rolled out, with Google's attention mostly fixed on newer devices like the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. 

The Pixel Watch March 2023 update added a couple of new low-battery features, while the June 2023 feature drop for Android and Wear OS added new features for Spotify and other Wear OS apps. But otherwise, most of mid-2023 has been pretty light on excitement for Pixel Watch owners as Google prepares for the Pixel Watch 2 launch.

According to a recent Pixel Watch 2 leak, the newer model will get a revamped chip, work as a Digital Car Key, and get more seamless background updates whenever new security patches come in. The Pixel Watch will get some of the same updates around the time Wear OS 4 rolls out.