Your Google Pixel Watch on Wear OS 4 is getting a faster and more reliable text-to-speach engine

Google has released a new text-to-speech (TTS) engine designed specifically for Wear OS 4 and newer. This means your Pixel Watch can now read things like notifications, exercise cues, and navigation directions faster and with greater reliability.

No more waiting around. The new engine is ready to speak in about 10 seconds after your Pixel Watch boots up (and developers can pre-warm it for even quicker responses). Incoming alerts and instructions will sound more natural thanks to Google’s improved machine learning technology. Google has also optimized this engine for low-memory devices (smartwatches), minimizing its impact on your battery life.

According to Google, your Pixel Watch will be even more helpful in these situations:

Accessibility: Get important information read aloud quickly and clearly.

Hands-free navigation: Focus on your route with turn-by-turn directions spoken directly from your watch.

Workout motivation: Receive real-time coaching cues and performance stats without checking your screen.

Quick notification check: Hear incoming messages without having to take out your phone.

Remember, the text-to-speech engine is ideal for short interactions, not reading long articles or podcasts. You don’t need to do anything special. This TTS update is rolling out automatically to Pixel Watches running Wear OS 4 or higher. Apps that already use text-to-speech features will automatically benefit from the improvements.

Google notes that TTS comes pre-loaded with 7 languages in the system image: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Device makers can choose to preload different languages based on their target markets.

Let us know how the faster and smoother text-to-speech works for you in the comments below!