Google knows there’s a Private Space issue in Wear OS, but there’s no fix yet

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What you need to know

• Google has published a new support page to inform users about an ongoing issue between Android 15’s Private Space and Wear OS.

• Users are reportedly receiving notifications from apps they have stored in Private Space, but that’s not how the feature works.

• Google recently resumed Wear OS Pixel Watch updates this week after Wear OS 5 caused devices to crash.

Google’s major 2024 Android operating system release has improved privacy features, but the company is aware of one glaring issue.

The company published a support page Information about recent Private Space issues in Wear OS (via 9to5Google). Google reiterates that Private Spaces are designed to hide apps you don’t want others to see. However, some users with Wear OS devices paired with A Private Space-enabled Android phone receives notifications.

The post states that users whose Wear OS watch is set to receive “bridged notifications” are experiencing this issue.

Naturally, such devices should not receive notifications from applications placed in the Private Area. Google notes that users can receive an alert from an app “when their private area is unlocked on your phone.” What’s more, these notifications may appear with a “work profile” icon even if you don’t have a profile on your smartphone.

Google’s featured post lacks information about a potential fix for Wear OS devices and Android 15’s Custom Areas. Post assumes a fix it could be It will ship with a future Wear OS or Android 15 patch. At this time, Google has not announced details of a fix; This means another fix may appear later.

One of the most important features that stood out during the launch of Android 15 was Google’s Private Area. This feature works like a “digital vault” that hides your sensitive apps that you’d rather no one else see. Private Space is useful for keeping apps like banking and health separate from the rest of your device. Users can secure the space with a PIN or fingerprint, similar to how you lock your phone.

Unfortunately, Wear OS devices suffer from a disconnection that defeats the purpose of keeping these apps in the “private space.”

It’s unclear whether we can expect an update to fix this issue. Google Wear OS updates continued for the Pixel Watch this week after taking a break to fix a serious software issue. The latest Wear OS 5 upgrade took a few hours to hijack and halt all (proper) functionality.

More importantly, this update post included a piece of advice: The next major operating system update won’t arrive until March 2025. While it’s a long wait, hopefully we won’t have to wait that long for a fix for the Custom version of Android 15. Space.