Get Started with Your Samsung Galaxy Watch
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch tracks steps, heart rate, sleep, and workouts while showing your phone notifications — here is how to set it up and get the most out of it.
Charge the watch before pairing
~33sQuick Tip
Quick Tip: The circular charging pad must be properly seated — the watch should snap or rest securely in the center. If the charging indicator does not appear within a few seconds, re-seat the watch on the pad.
Download the Galaxy Wearable app and pair the watch
~28sCustomize your watch face
~36sQuick Tip
Quick Tip: Choose a watch face that shows the information you care most about right at a glance — steps, heart rate, and next calendar event are popular choices that save you from navigating into apps frequently.
Set up health tracking
~21sStart a workout
~35sQuick Tip
Quick Tip: Turn on Auto Workout Detection in the Samsung Health app settings. The watch will then automatically begin tracking when it detects you have been doing a workout activity for more than 10 minutes.
Manage notifications and check battery
~37sWarning
Keep Bluetooth turned on your phone for the watch to stay connected and sync data. If you leave Bluetooth off, notifications will not reach the watch and health data will not sync until Bluetooth is re-enabled.
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a smartwatch that connects to your Samsung Galaxy phone (or most Android phones) and acts as an extension of your phone on your wrist. It tracks your daily health data — steps, heart rate, sleep quality, stress levels, and workouts — and displays notifications from your phone so you can see who is calling or texting without pulling out your phone.
Galaxy Watches run Wear OS with Samsung's One UI Watch interface layered on top. They connect to your phone via Bluetooth and, on some models, also have their own cellular connection so they can work even when you leave your phone at home.
For health tracking, the Galaxy Watch automatically detects many workouts without you needing to start them — it will notice you have been running or cycling and start tracking automatically. You can also start a workout manually from the watch by pressing the top button and selecting "Workout." Samsung Health, the companion app on your phone, stores all your health data and shows trends over time.
The watch battery typically lasts 1 to 3 days depending on the model and how many features you use. GPS workout tracking drains the battery faster than regular use. Charging uses a wireless charging pad that comes in the box — set the watch on the pad with the screen facing up.
To get the full experience, you should use a Samsung Galaxy phone with the Galaxy Wearable app. The watch will still work with non-Samsung Android phones, but some features are limited. It does not work with iPhones.
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