[Update: Feb. 23] Samsung One UI Watch (Wear OS 3.0) update tracker: News, eligible watches, features, bugs, issues & problems

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on August 6, 2021) follows:

Samsung is all set to unveil the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic at the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event scheduled for August 11.

However, the upcoming Galaxy watches will not come out with the OEM’s Tizen operating system. Samsung and Google have been working on the next generation of Wear OS i.e. Wear OS 3.0.

Speculations have been rife that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic might sport One UI Watch based on the new, unified platform.

This platform, jointly built by Google and Samsung, also has Fitbit managing the fitness tracking aspects.

Many rumors and leaks about the Galaxy Watch 4 series indicate that the One UI Watch skin is going to be a major upgrade.

Samsung One UI Watch will have a new ecosystem for apps as it will come out with Google Play Store. Also, Samsung is focusing on improving the phone/watch synchronization.

For example, users will not have to install apps on their phone and watch separately as supported apps will get installed on the watch automatically once installed on the phone.

The new OS will also allow watch face designers to make new watch faces easily yet creatively thanks to a new and improved software kit for the same.

Apart from that, Samsung One UI Watch will offer better handling of activity and fitness tracking capabilities in eligible devices.

However, One UI Watch might not roll out as an update to existing Galaxy Watch devices. This is because Samsung said that Tizen-powered watches will not be upgraded to Wear OS back in May.

This is certainly a downer for existing Galaxy Watch users but the good news is that Tizen-powered watches will continue to get general updates as per the schedule.

While the One UI Watch skin is expected to be based on Wear OS 3.0, official info regarding the same is yet come out.

That said, we will keep tracking the development of One UI Watch and will update this story as and when new information becomes available. So, keep a weather eye on it.

Click/tap to view older updates

Update 1 (August 12)

IST 10:21 am: A new poster from Samsung Singapore’s Instagram handle is causing waves online as it insinuates that the new Wear OS will be coming to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3.

How true these claims only remain to be seen but many users are ruling it off as a typo.

IST 1:14 pm:Following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, a few more details are now clear about the Wear OS 3.0 update. First, older devices like the Galaxy Watch 3 will not get updated.

Also, we now have a picture of just how capable this new OS will be, thanks to a post on things users might want to try on their Wear OS 3.0-running Galaxy Watch 4, along with a host of redesigned Google apps for the new platform.

Update 2 (August 13)

IST 11:15 am: Wear OS does not seem to fix the problematic pairing process for users with devices that are not Samsung’s own. Also, it looks like Samsung has ditched iOS support for Wear OS-based Galaxy Watch 4 series. More on this here and here.

IST 1:40 pm: New info now indicates that the Galaxy Watch 4 will not come with support for Google Assistant out of the box. However, there is hope that the same will be added down the line but for now, users have to deal with Bixby.

Update 3 (August 16)

IST 10:05 am: As per a recent report from 9to5Google, the Wear OS 3 based One UI Watch-powered Galaxy Watch 4 series does not focus too much on Google’s ecosystem and only works best with Galaxy devices.

Update 4 (August 24)

IST 11:21 am: Wear OS 3 holds a lot of promise for the whole Android smartwatch ecosystem and now, word has it that Spotify is adding support for offline playback on Wear OS. This is rolling out for some users but Free Spotify users will have to deal with some limitations.

Update 5 (August 30)

IST 2:11 pm: As users continue to explore the possibilities unlocked by the new Wear OS 3, a new Walkie-Talkie app has been released exclusively to Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic. This app allows two or more users to have instant conversations, just like if they were using a walkie-talkie.

Users can create an instant Walkie-Talkie channel on your Galaxy Watch and enjoy instant conversations right away with the friends, colleagues, or family members who are in your Contacts.

Update 6 (September 04)

IST 12:45 pm: Telegram appears to have ended support for Wear OS with the latest version 8.0 update. Also, the Telegram app for Wear OS will stop working soon for those who have already installed it on their devices.

This further means that users of the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will not be able to use Telegram. However, the Galaxy Watch 4 series is now getting the Material You version of the Google Messages app.

Update 7 (September 08)

IST 03:00 pm: According recent reports, some users feel that the heart rate sensor on Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series devices is not tracking properly during workout sessions. More details here.

Update 8 (September 10)

IST 12:24 PM: Samsung is rolling out an update to the Galaxy Watch 4 devices and this update seems to address the touch bezel issue while improving system stability.

The update to the Galaxy Watch 4 devices in the United States can be identified by the software version R870XXU1BUI5/R870OXM1BUI5. Here’s the changelog.

What’s new

– Improved usability of the following applications or features: Touch bezel
– Improved system stability and reliability

Update 9 (October 08)

IST 10:24 AM: Well, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is now getting support for the Samsung Internet Browser. How usable this feature will be, remains to be seen.

Update 10 (October 14)

IST 12:32 PM: A recent update to the Samsung Health app has resulted in the loss of continuous heart rate graph. Luckily, there’s a workaround. More on that here.

Update 11 (October 21)

IST 11:03 AM: Samsung Galaxy Watch4 is bagging a new update that brings with it a bunch of new watch faces, more gesture controls, improved fall detection among other features.

Update 12 (October 22)

IST 12:32 PM: The latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 update may have fixed Gmail notifications issue, as per some user reports. More on that in our coverage here.

Update 13 (October 30)

IST 01:45 PM: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is reportedly getting November 2021 update that brings new watch faces, improvements in heart rate monitoring, and an updated security patch. More on that here.

Update 14 (November 17)

IST 01:30 PM: Many Galaxy Watch 4 users say they are unable to make payments using the Google Pay app and report getting ‘Your phone can’t make contactless payments’ error. More on that here.

Update 15 (February 09, 2022)

IST 11:04 am: Samsung announced a feature-packed update for Galaxy Watch 4 series. It will be available starting the day of Unpacked that is February 09.

The update will add some new watch faces to the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Moreover, it will include some health-related improvements, the ability to stream music on YouTube Music over Wi-Fi or LTE, and more.

Update 16 (February 10, 2022)

IST 11:45 am: The big update for Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is now rolling out and it brings a huge list of new features and improvements.

This update upgrades the underlying software to One UI 4.0 and Wear OS 3.2, adding support for rotating the screen by 180 degrees in order to use it on both wrists.

Update 17 (February 18, 2022)

03:00 pm (IST): Google Pay on Twitter has confirmed that they are investigating the issue with Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 where users are unable to add cards.

03:40 pm (IST): Some Galaxy Watch 4 are facing persistent PIN requests issue throughout the day that could be related to a potential defective ‘wear detection’ system.

Also they demand an option to use a payment app without having to activate a PIN for the whole watch system (only use the PIN when using the payment app).

Update 18 (February 21, 2022)

05:00 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users are saying the tap to wake feature is not working in battery saver mode after the recent One UI 4 Wear OS 3.2 update.

Update 19 (February 24, 2022)

01:45 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Health app is not working properly after a recent update. The app crashes or fitness tracking stops abruptly.

Update 20 (February 26, 2022)

01:27 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are now receiving a minor update. This software update, which arrives carrying build number EVB4 for both models, only brings system improvements.

Update 21 (March 03, 2022)

01:53 pm (IST): Google released March 2022 update for the Google Play system. And it brings bug fixes for device connectivity on Wear OS devices.

Update 22 (March 17, 2022)

06:20 pm (IST): It seems that the recent update for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic that carries build number EVB49 has fixed some issues. A user on Reddit has pointed out the following improvements after the update.

– AOD updating for third-party faces.

– Touch to wake in power saving mode working now.

– Daily activity tile gets updates.

– Lag in UI sorted.

– No more blank calendar in tiles.

– Hoping to have a better battery. (Source)

Update 23 (April 07, 2022)

06:23 pm (IST): Samsung is now rolling out a new software update for Galaxy Watch 4 users. It brings March 2022 security patch and comes with version number R870XXU1FVC8.

Update 24 (April 13, 2022)

03:33 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users in Canada are getting a new software update with ECG and blood pressure monitoring support. The update has been spotted on non-LTE (Bluetooth) models, but it should also come to LTE variants.

Update 25 (April 21, 2022)

12:33 pm (IST): Verizon variants of Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4 are now getting a new software update (1, 2).

And while the changelog mentioned that Google Assistant has arrived via this update, Google has confirmed to The Verge that this is not the case.

Update 26 (May 05, 2022)

05:22 pm (IST): Samsung is rolling out a new software update for Galaxy Watch 4 users with firmware version R8x0XXU1FVD4. It carries system stability improvements and May 2022 security patch.

Update 27 (May 24, 2022)

01:48 pm (IST): Samsung has officially announced that users will now be able to download and access Google Assistant directly on their Galaxy Watch 4.

03:11 pm (IST): Samsung recently announced that it will soon launch the One UI Watch beta program for Galaxy Watch 4 users.

And now, the company has started the beta program in the US. Interested Galaxy Watch 4 users can test the upcoming software on their smartwatches.

05:30 pm (IST): Some Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users say they are unable to connect their device to the phone when setting up Google Assistant. Head here for some potential workarounds.

05:59 pm (IST): Many Galaxy Watch 4 users are now reporting battery draining issues after installing Google Assistant. Moreover, some are also complaining about connectivity issues. More on that here.

10:30 am (IST): Samsung has now begun rolling out the One UI Watch 4.5 beta version for Galaxy Watch 4 users in South Korea. It can be downloaded using Watch 4 beta plugin. More on that here.

12:30 pm (IST): Galaxy Watch 4 users are reporting that Spotify offline music is not working or songs are getting deleted. More on that here.

05:12 pm (IST): Samsung has rolled out the second One UI Watch 4.5 beta for Galaxy Watch 4 units. The software version is R8**XXU1ZVF5. Here’s the changelog:

– Improving app running performance
– Enhancement of GPS stability
– Stabilizing health functions, and improving running and swimming performance
– Fixed issues that are slow or terminated in Health app
– Stabilizing power consumption
– Fixed that My Photo+, My Style background photo, and AR emoji character are not restored when the data is restored
– Fixed that the call receiving screen is not displayed when Watch music is playing during Watch and Buzz connection
– Fixed issue that the reminder alarm remains after snooze
– Fixed issue that is cut off on the weather screen when the font size is enlarged
– Other improvements are applied
(Source)

12:35 pm (IST): Google’s Fast Pair feature will soon arrive for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. It will be available via Google Play Services v22.24 update. More on that here.

11:06 am (IST): Samsung has now released the third beta of One UI Watch 4.5 for Galaxy Watch 4 series. It bears software version R8**XXU1ZVFA and includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

– Improving Watchface GUI

– Fixed restore problem after Tile backup

– Fixed SysUI crash problem when pushing Home button during scrolling

– Fixed Music Bixby malfunction problem

– Improving wearing detection accuracy

– Improving usability of Alarm, Stopwatch, Timer, and World Clock

– Stabilizing touch performance

– Improving power consumption caused by Buds auto switch communication

– Improving performance of automatic exercise

– Improving recognition rate of Wrist up when bicycle exercise

– Fixed BT connection problem when running gallery app

– Other improvements are applied

05:12 pm (IST): Many users are now reporting (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that the latest Galaxy Wearable update is causing the app to crash or not launch at all.

Luckily, Samsung has acknowledged the issue and said that they are working on a fix. Moreover, they have suggested a workaround that involves enabling ‘Nearby Devices’ permission.

Also, a user has suggested a workaround that might help you resolve this issue. You can try it out and see if it works.

Edit Update: I updated the plugin via Samsung members app through the beta program banner and it fixed it. I’m assuming the same should work for people on the regular version, try searching for the wearable plugin on the Samsung app store and updating it. (Source)

04:05 pm (IST): Samsung has announced One UI Watch 4.5 for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. The update will soon start rolling out, probably alongside the launch of the Galaxy Watch 5.

It includes a bunch of new features such as new watch faces, dual SIM support, new accessibility features, and more.

01:34 pm (IST): Samsung has released fourth One UI Watch 4.5 beta for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic users with software version ZVG3. It brings various bug fixes and improvements. Check the full changelog below.

– Fixed force closed issue of permission pop-up when the users add current location in Weather Tile

– Fixed mismatch problem of connection status between Galaxy Wearable App and BT setting

– Fixed ANR problem when checking Samsung Health screen during exercise

– Fixed time-shaking problem of Stopwatch

– Stabilized Watchface function

– Stabilized sleeping mode function

– Fixed the issue of Sysui crash

– Improved the stabilization of Message App

– Improved Watch Battery App

– Other improvements are applied (Source)

04:08 pm (IST): The fifth One UI Watch 4.5 beta is now available for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic users. It is identified with firmware version ZVG7 and includes bug fixes and improvements.

02:10 pm (IST): Samsung has released sixth One UI Watch 4.5 beta for Galaxy Watch 4 users. It comes with firmware version ZVH2 and brings the following changes:

– Improvements to the issue of characters disappearing while entering text when auto-recommended text is set to On

– Fixes to reset issues when entering Watch only mode during exercise

– Changes to power saving mode concept

– Automatically cancels power saving mode when the battery is charged to 15% or more

– Improved to clearly recognize when entering power saving mode (Source)

04:44 pm (IST): Samsung has released stable One UI Watch 4.5 update for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. The stable build can be identified with version R8**XXU1GVH2 and is currently available in the US and South Korea.

06:28 pm (IST): Telus is expected to release a new software update for Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic on September 17 in Canada. It is expected to bring WearOS 3.5 along with latest security patch.

06:51 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic on Verizon are now receiving Wear OS 3.5-based One UI 4.5 update in the US.

12:12 pm (IST): Some Galaxy S22 users are now reporting a bug where they are unable to connect to Galaxy Watch 4 after One UI 5.0 update.

Luckily, a Samsung moderator has acknowledged the glitch and said that it is currently under investigation.

04:05 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users are now reporting that their watch is getting bricked when they try to update it to the latest firmware carrying version R8xxXXU1GVI3. More on that here.

02:08 pm (IST): Samsung has released a new update for Galaxy Watch 4 series in India. It can be identified with software version GVK4 and includes November 2022 patch along with bug fixes.

05:49 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users offered Trade in (1,2,3) or paid repair based on warranty for update triggered bricking issue.

Free repair is only limited to devices under warranty, otherwise, they offer a Trade allowance or paid repair ($70 repair or W5 for $175 after the trade).

Folks are being asked for warranty verification and not many users are pleased with this move (1,2). A lucky Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 user was even given extension on expired warranty.

04:28 pm (IST): A recent report states that Google is working on dedicated Gmail and Google Calendar apps for Wear OS. However, there is no ETA for the rollout yet.

Currently, Google Pixel Watch users do not have a fully functional Calendar app. They have to use the Agenda app which does not offer basic features like ‘monthly or weekly’ view.

On the other hand, Galaxy Watch (Wear OS) users do have a dedicated calendar with almost all the essential features. But, neither the Pixel Watch nor Wear OS-powered Galaxy Watches have a dedicated Gmail app.

06:33 pm (IST): With Wear OS 3, Google now allows you to use turn-by-turn navigations directly on the watches with LTE connectivity.

According to data shared by Google at CES 2023, Wear OS 3 has helped Samsung to increase the active Wear OS devices by 3X since May 2021. More on that here.

06:30 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 users are now getting January 2023 update with One UI 5.1 features including Camera controller zoom, Self-diagnose, and more in India.

04:57 pm (IST): Some Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 4 users are now reporting that their screen is locking or turning off immediately after using ‘raise gesture to wake’ feature. More on that here.

01:00 pm (IST): Some Galaxy Watch series users report that their wearables are displaying excessively high stress level readings (1, 2).

07:00 pm (IST): Some Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 4 users are unable to turn off ongoing notification icons even after an activity is completed. More on that here.

Featured image source: @evleaks

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