Motorola Moto 360
Among the budget smartwatches is the original Motorola Moto 360 Reuters

The Moto 360 (1st gen) is still one of the best budget smartwatches on the wearables market. But with the recent Android Wear 1.4 release based on Marshmallow many users have been facing performance issues with the device. Prior to this users have also faced issues with the watch's operation after the Lollipop update.

If you own a Moto 360 and have recently upgraded your OS for the smartwatch you may face some glitches and performance issues for which we have detailed common hacks and simple solutions.

Google Play Services stopped

A number of users are witnessing error messages when it comes to Google Play services on the Moto 360. To fix this firstly make sure that you have the latest Android Wear version installed. In case that does not help here is a fix until Google updates Android Wear further.

  • Uninstall Android Wear app from your phone
  • Download Android Wear version 1.4.0.2392391 from here
  • In the Play Store go into settings and make sure Auto-updates are turned off
  • Install the download version on your phone
  • Then factory reset your watch
  • Finally sync watch and phone and everything should be back on track

Battery Drain

Users of the device have complained of sever battery drain issues as bad as up to 10% an hour after the OS updates. To fix this issue

  • Go to the Android Wear app on your smartphone
  • Then head to Settings>Moto360 Connected>Forget Watch at bottom of screen
  • There will be a Phone App Manager option there
  • Clear Data and Cache from there
  • Uninstall the app
  • Check Bluetooth and unpair watch if still paired
  • Turn off Bluetooth and Reboot Phone
  • Then do a factory/hard reset on the Moto 360 from Watch Settings
  • After that turn on phone and switch on the Bluetooth
  • Set up as new watch by going to Android Wear >Settings>Moto360 Connected>Resync apps

Turning off notifications you don't want can also save your battery while using Wi-Fi. For this

  • Go to the Android Wear app on your phone
  • Touch the Settings icon and go to Block app notifications
  • Touch the plus icon and select the app you want to block

Notifications not reflecting

The key function of a smartwatch is to reflect relevant notifications from your mobile on the watch after pairing the two. However, some users have complained that they stop getting notifications on their Moto 360 even though it shows that the device is connected to their smartphones.

To fix this issue turn off app optimization for Android Wear by going to >Settings > Battery > Select Detail and under App optimization scroll and select "Android Wear". Then select Turned off and Reboot phone and watch for safe measure. Turn it back on and it should start working. In case the hack stated here does not work unpair the phone from the watch and pair again.

Image retention

Some users have complained of what looks like screen burn-in, but is actually image retention or ghosting, after leaving their watch charging overnight. You can fix this issue by following any one of the steps below:

  • Try using the Slumber for Android Wear app. It has to be set for each night, but will keep the screen dark until you tap the screen or pick up your Moto 360 in the morning

OR

  • Alternatively Go to Settings > About on your Moto 360 and tap the build number seven times to unlock developer options
  • Go to Settings > Developer options and disable Stay awake when charging

OR

  • Press the Moto 360 button twice and the watch will go into Theater mode that mutes notifications and switches the screen off. You won't get any image retention if you do this each night

Showing Bootloader Version

If you have pressed the power button for 15-20 seconds, and the watch has vibrated twice your Moto 360 will launch into Bootloader mode. Simply press the Power key to exit Bootloader mode and power up the Moto 360 as usual.

Stuck pixels

Many people have reported stuck pixels on their Moto 360 units. Stuck pixels don't change regardless of the image on screen, and can be very annoying. Here's what to do to fix this issue:

As Android Wear 1.4 has only recently been rolled out some fixes may come with the update itself. The Marshmallow-based watch OS is still in its nascent stages so expect more updates for stability, bug fixes and performance improvements soon.

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