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ZDNET Highlights
- Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 and Ultra offer the best from both Samsung and Google.
- These features are compatible with the classic models with rotating bezels, the smooth Watch 8 and the rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra.
- The Galaxy Watch 8 series and Ultra are compatible with all Android phones and offer a high level of personalization.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 and Ultra are arguably among the best Google Wear watches available today, and can be found with attractive discount offers and trade-in deals from Samsung. In addition to the best of Google features, the watches also incorporate Samsung functions and features to enhance the overall experience.
With three Samsung Galaxy watches, there’s a watch to fit any wrist size and match your favorite style. I like the rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but am going back to the blue 2025 Watch Ultra due to the advanced security features, larger size, and sturdier build.
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Let’s take a closer look at some of the functions and features that help you get the most of your Galaxy Watch experience. If you have others to add to the list, please share them here for all of us to enjoy.
1. Watch face customization
The easiest way to personalize your Galaxy Watch and extend its functionality is to set your favorite watch face. There are thousands of watch face options, and with the ability to use your own photos as watch face backgrounds, the watch face you have can be unique to your watch. I recommend a few pairs that you might want to try while you explore the options available to you.
Use the Heritage Classic watch face and then customize it however you like, including including your own image as part of the background. To enjoy one of the best effects available from Samsung, go to the Low-Light Mode setting and select the Auto option. Now, when the lights go off, the entire display turns into a bright 80s glow color.
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Also consider trying the Daily Dashboard watch face, which dynamically changes its background color depending on the time of day. You can also add up to eight complications to this watch face for optimal productivity and efficiency. The number of complications available increases as you install apps on your watch, and in my case, there are over 50 to choose from.
2. Prompt for quick action
Apple offers several gestures for Apple Watch users, but Google has not yet implemented gesture support on its Pixel Watch. Thankfully, Samsung has long been known for using gestures, including air movements with the S Pen, and there are plenty of options available for the Galaxy Watch.
The basic gesture is a double pinch with your index finger and thumb, available to answer calls, turn off alarms, take photos, scroll through notifications, and more. You can rotate your wrist twice, also known as a shake, to return to the watch face after rejecting a call, dismissing an alert, or checking notifications.
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Another gesture I don’t use often, because I haven’t seen reliable performance yet, is the knock gesture, where you make a fist and bend it down and then raise it rapidly two times in a row. The knock gesture can be customized to launch an app or perform a single action in Settings.
One last gesture option that really sets Samsung apart from others is the ability to create universal, custom gestures. Note that these gestures are not supported when pattern security lock is enabled on your watch. The settings for universal gestures are located in the Accessibility area and are primarily designed to help users interact with their Galaxy Watch through gestures rather than requiring them to tap and swipe on the display.
3. Stack your tiles
Google’s new Material Expressive tiles are functional and beautiful, but Samsung takes Tiles to the next level with stackable tiles. I recommend using the Galaxy Wearable app on your connected Android phone to create and organize your tiles in the most efficient way. Everything you do to create these tiles on your phone will sync with the watch.
Go to the Tiles settings in the Galaxy Wearable app, and then you can add up to 11 widgets to each individual tile. On your smartphone, you’ll see an outline of a round watch face, allowing you to preview the information displayed on the watch.
Sometimes, you will see multiple widgets at once. In other cases, especially if you have 11 widgets on a tile, you simply swipe up and down on that tile on your watch face to view the widget content. Note that some app tile options only support one widget per tile.
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Widgets are available for Samsung Health, Samsung Apps, Google Apps, and other third-party apps where the developer has enabled the Tiles widget option. I have tiles for health metrics, workout tasks, weather and calendar information, communication-related tasks, alarms, and various utilities including a voice recorder, camera controller, calculator, and more. With an intentional setup of your Tiles, you’ll rarely need to open the app launcher to perform tasks on your Galaxy Watch.
4. Customize the App Launcher
As much as I like the Pixel Watch 4, Google organizes all your Watch apps alphabetically and doesn’t offer any way to customize the location of these shortcuts. You can view in list or icon format, but that’s about it. Thankfully, Samsung allows you to completely customize the organization of your apps.
Similar to my recommendation for Tiles, you should use the Galaxy Wearable smartphone app to organize these instead of working on the tiny watch display.
Open the Apps screen utility on your connected Android phone. There’s a toggle to show featured apps at the top based on your usage, to try to improve your efficiency. You can also choose to show your apps in grid or list form. Note that if you select the list form, all your apps will be displayed in alphabetical order.
The real superpower is the ability to touch, hold, and drag an app shortcut anywhere on the app’s screen when it’s in grid mode. With Samsung, you can even drag shortcuts on top of another and create folders for your apps. If you’ve ever seen the home screen of my smartphone, you’ll notice that they’re all organized into folders, and I do the same thing with the Watch apps here.
5. Focus on exercise
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is an excellent fitness watch that can track metrics for over 90 sports and activities. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming and time-consuming to scroll through them all to find your favorite activities. Thankfully, there is a way to customize the experience and improve your ability to get started quickly.
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Go to the Samsung Health app on your connected Android smartphone and then tap the three-dot/line menu on the far right of the exercise widget. Scroll through the list of exercises and add three of them as your favorites by tapping the star icon. You can also rearrange these favorites using the three-dot menu.
Then, below Favorites, all other available exercises and activities will appear. You can hide any of them you have never participated in and add as many as you want below Favorites. Exercises can be chosen from a list you create manually as well as workout routines. These other exercises can also be organized in a way that suits your participation. All these Samsung Health customizations will be synced with your watch for easy access.
6. Use those hardware buttons
Gestures can be very useful, but don’t forget that three buttons are also available on the Galaxy Watch 8 and Ultra. The center (quick) button can be set to start an exercise, turn on the flashlight, open the camera controller, and more. A short or double-press action will execute the action. You can’t set different actions for short or double presses, so the quick button is used for a single action.
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The top button can be set to function with a double press and a long press. The double press action supports opening any application on your watch, as well as some utilities, such as Water Lock or the Latest App. Long press action only supports Gemini, Bixby, and power-off menu. A short press of the top button returns you to the watch face and this is a default setting that cannot be changed.
The short-press action of the bottom button can be set to go to the previous screen (Back) or show your recent apps. A long press of the bottom button launches Samsung Wallet, and cannot be modified in Settings.
7. Quick panel change
When you swipe down from the top of the watch face, the Quick Panel appears. Six icons appear on the watch face, and then swiping from right to left moves to other displays, if you have them set up.
Using the Galaxy Wearable smartphone app or watch, you can add, remove, and rearrange these icons and related utilities. It has options like torch, settings access, sound mode, airplane mode, find my phone and many more. Set these to improve your performance with the phone.
8. Use a mod or create one
In my experience, Samsung excels at managing and creating modes to help your device work how you want and when you want. Modes can be synced between your phone and Galaxy Watch, allowing quick access to Sleep, Theatre, Work, Commute, Relax and more to perform as desired.
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Go to the Modes and routines option in the Galaxy Wearable app on your smartphone, and then tap the Modes and routines hyperlink below the display. This will open the utility on your phone, and here you can customize existing modes and even create your own.
When creating a custom mode, set the mode’s start conditions (which can be a specific time, location, or condition) and then specify the mode’s actions. There are a large number of actions available for the mode, including opening apps, adjusting volume, changing the display, and more.
One reason we enjoy Samsung devices is the vast range of customization options available to customize your experience. It can be overwhelming sometimes, and I hope some of these tips and tricks help you get the most out of your Galaxy Watch. However, be sure to explore the settings and options further for even more benefits. If you have some favorite features that I haven’t covered, please share in the comments below.
