Watch Unlock hardly ever works

Kind of a rant/seeking advice post.

I have a PW4 wifi and a Pixel 7 Pro. Got the watch connected without issues, all systems updated to latest available versions, Watch Unlock added in the watch app.

But for some reason, the Watch Unlock feature never seems to work, or at least hardly ever. For a "feature" that's supposed to be a convenience it's more frustration than anything else. When I try to unlock my phone, it just sits there trying to recognise my face an nauseum, and watch unlock doesn't activate. I've honestly got the shits by this points.

Can anyone offer any advice?