Update software and apps on your Samsung smartwatch
Your Samsung smart watch is not all cogs and gears - it is wires, processors, data chips, and software! And just like with any other smart device, the watch's software and apps will need to be updated every so often. Luckily, you can update both whether or not you have a phone.
Note: Information provided applies to devices sold in Canada. Available screens and settings may vary for smartwatches sold in other countries.
When your phone and watch are connected, you can use the companion app to regularly check for updates. Or, if you initially set up your watch without a phone, you can apply updates from the watch itself.
-[ Update watch software with an Android phone ]-
On the connected phone, navigate to and open the Galaxy Wearable app.
- For the Galaxy Watch3 and Galaxy Watch4 series: Tap Watch settings, and then tap Watch software update.
- If your watch displays a Home tab, and swipe to and tap Watch software update or Band software update. Tap Download and install.
- For some watches, you will need to tap About watch, About band, or About Gear to access the software update menu.
To automatically download software updates over a Wi-Fi network, tap the switch next to "Auto download over Wi-Fi."
Note: This option is not available on the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic.
While the software update is being applied, the watch will reboot and show a progress bar or rotating animation.
-[ Update watch software with an iOS phone ]-
On the connected phone, open the Samsung Galaxy Watch app. The Samsung Galaxy Watch app is available for iOS devices through the App Store. Tap the Home tab, and then swipe to and tap About watch.
If an update is available, tap Install. If “Latest version installed” appears, then the smartwatch is up to date.
-[ Update watch software without a phone ]-
Note: These instructions do not apply to the Galaxy Fit or the Galaxy Watch4 series. The steps will only work if your watch was set up separately from a phone.
On the watch, press the Home key (or the Power key), and then navigate to and tap Settings. Tap General, and then tap Watch software update to check for updates. Tap the checkmark if you are prompted to download an update.
Note: For a Gear Fit2 Pro, tap Gear info, and then tap Update Gear software.
While the software update is being applied, the smartwatch will reboot and show a progress bar or rotating animation.
Note: These instructions do not apply to the Galaxy Watch4 series. Apps will update through the Play Store.
The Galaxy Store does not just update phone apps. It can update your watch’s apps too! You can update the smartwatch's apps using the connected phone, or on the watch itself if it was set up without a phone. Just make sure the device you are using is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.
-[ Update smartwatch apps with an Android phone ]-
First, make sure your phone and watch are connected. Navigate to and open the Galaxy Store, tap the Menu icon (the three horizontal lines), and then tap Updates. Select the Watch tab, and then tap Update all to download all available updates.
Note: The Watch tab will only appear if you have connected a watch to a phone and the Galaxy Wearable app.
To download individual updates, tap the Update icon next to the app. When you open the Galaxy Wearable app, you may see an update notification. You can update your apps this way as well by tapping View update, and then tapping Update all in the upper right corner.
-[ Update smartwatch apps with an iOS phone ]-
Make sure your phone and smartwatch are connected. Navigate to and open the Samsung Galaxy Watch app on your phone, then tap the Home tab, and then tap Apps. Swipe to and tap Manage apps, and then tap the app you would like to update. Tap Update.
The Galaxy Store will open; tap Update again to confirm.
Note: From the Apps menu, you can also enable Auto update and App update notifications if desired.
-[ On Galaxy Watch4 series ]-
Note: Because it uses the WearOS from Google, updating apps on the smartwatch is slightly different than from previous Samsung models. You will need to do it from the Play Store. Remember, the Watch4 series cannot be set up as a standalone without a phone. But you can still edit some of its settings when the watch is disconnected from the Galaxy Wearable app.
On the watch, swipe up from the Home screen to access the watch's apps. Open the Play Store app, and then swipe down until you reach My Apps. Tap My apps.
All of your installed apps will be listed. If an update is available for any apps, an update option will appear. Tap Update all and wait for the software to install.
-[ On previous models ]-
On earlier models of Samsung smartwatch, such as the Galaxy Watch3 or Galaxy Watch Active, you need to set up the watch without a phone in order to update the apps using this method. If the smartwatch is connected to a phone, these instructions will not work.
Note: These steps do not apply to a Galaxy Fit, Fit2, Galaxy Watch4, or Galaxy Watch4 Classic. The instructions will only work if your watch was set up separately from a phone.
On the watch, press the Home key (or the Power key), and then navigate to and open the Galaxy Store. Tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots). Swipe to and tap Update, and then tap Update all to install any available software. To update an individual app, tap it and then tap Update. You can also tap Settings to manage your Auto update settings.
Note: For a Gear Fit2 Pro, tap Settings, and then tap About Gear. Tap Auto update apps to make sure apps stay up to date since the Galaxy Store app is not installed on the watch.
If you are not signed into your Samsung account, the Update option will not appear. To sign in, tap the More options icon (the three vertical dots), and tap Sign in. Then, follow the same steps to update your smartwatch’s apps.
If you encounter some issues when updating your smartwatch’s software and apps, you can try rebooting or restarting your watch.
For example, if a software update fails and results in a boot loop of your smartwatch, you may need to uninstall apps or try factory resetting your smartwatch. This method also works when an app fails to update, freezes, or crashes.
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