Google Pixel Watch Owners Report Issue With Backplate Falling Off

A year after acquiring Fitbit in January 2021, Google finally decided to make its foray into the world of smartwatches in 2022 when it launched its first ever smartwatch — the Google Pixel Watch. The new device was launched alongside the Pixel 7 lineup of smartphones in October last year, and generally received positive reviews. The Pixel Watch was praised for its excellent design, stable software, and great hardware. While all of these factors remain true to this day, it seems at least some units of the Pixel Watch have experienced a major reliability issue.

According to Android Police, several units of the Google Pixel Watch have had issues with its backplate randomly popping out and falling off. Multiple instances of this have happened over the past few months, with several users complaining about the same on Reddit. While Android Police says that the issue isn't pervasive enough for Google to issue a product recall, it definitely seems to affect an increasing number of Pixel Watch units.

Thanks to my excessive sweating (I believe) the glue on the back of my pixel watch dissolved and the back has popped off. pic.twitter.com/ltUQauXC4I

— SuperSanusi (@supersanusi) May 30, 2023

While the majority of users who experienced this problem said that the back plate popped off while they attempted to remove the Pixel Watch from its charging puck, some others believe that the issue is caused by excessive sweating. In either case, the culprit here is evidently the glue that holds the back panel of the Watch and the rest of the body together.

Interestingly, while Google has yet to officially acknowledge this issue, many affected users have confirmed that the company has already replaced their units under warranty. However, there have also been instances of the company denying a replacement, following which customers had to escalate the issue. Some users say Google wanted to charge them $300 in order to file a warranty claim for the device.

Given that there are only a handful of confirmed reports of this issue, it is still unclear how many units of the Pixel Watch are potentially affected by this issue. Given that the problem seems to mainly center around the glue used to stick the rear panel to the chassis, there is a chance of this problem affecting its water resistance capabilities as well.

If you happen to own a Pixel Watch, now would be a good time to check if your unit is showing signs of a loose rear panel or an exposed interior. It would also be interesting to see what Google has to say about this issue, should the company decide to make an official statement in this connection.