Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Wear OS 5 with One UI 6 Watch is rolling out to Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch FE, and possibly Watch 4 series.
- The stable update brings new features, such as a redesigned Quick Panel, refreshed notification cards, and better Samsung Health features.
- Users in Europe, Asia, and South America are receiving the update first, with North America expected to follow soon.
Samsung rolled out One UI 6 Watch based on Wear OS 5 to Galaxy Watch 6 owners a while ago. However, owners of older smartwatches, such as the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 4, could only install the update if they were part of the beta program earlier. Thankfully, Samsung is now rolling out Wear OS 5 update to the Galaxy Watch 5 series, Galaxy Watch FE, and possibly the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
We’re seeing multiple reports from older Samsung Galaxy smartwatch owners receiving their Wear OS 5 update. Redditor Anonym806 got the update on their Galaxy Watch 5, Redditor TheCapedCoconut got it on their Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, while Redditor bl4ckv0id received the update on their Galaxy Watch FE, which is identical to the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
From what we can assess, the stable update is rolling out to smartwatches in Europe, Asia, and South America but not yet in North America. So, users in the USA and Canada will have to wait some more for the update to roll out for their region. Given the wider rollout, we are hopeful this will happen sooner rather than later.
While we haven’t been able to locate any direct reports for the Galaxy Watch 4 yet, we know that beta users for the Watch 4 series have received the stable One UI 6 Watch update. Given the Galaxy Watch FE is practically a rebranded 40mm Galaxy Watch 4, we reckon the wider stable rollout for the Watch 4 series isn’t too far out.
Since this is a substantial update, users report that the download size is close to 1.8GB, so we recommend using an unmetered data connection to download the update.
One UI 6 Watch for Galaxy smartwatches includes the changes that Wear OS 5 brings, along with some more changes. You get a redesigned Quick Panel, refreshed notification cards, a new font, better Samsung Health features with Energy Score, and a touch-sensitive Always On Display. There’s a new double pinch gesture that lets you perform various actions by pinching your thumb and index finger and a new hands-free gesture that enables you to return to the previous screen.
Have you received the Wear OS 5 update on your Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or Watch 4 series? Let us know in the comments below!
