Your Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely has arrived, and now you are questioning whether or not you made the correct name shopping for a $650 smartwatch? It is too late for purchaser’s regret, so step one is to personalize your Extremely in order that it is as helpful and individualized to your wants as potential.
Having reviewed the Galaxy Watch Extremely and a number of other different Samsung watches, I am acquainted sufficient with its One UI Watch spin on Put on OS to level you in the direction of each software program characteristic, new or previous, that requires you to dive into settings earlier than you entry them. Listed here are my Galaxy Watch Extremely suggestions and tips for getting began!
Observe: Each time I say “Settings” under, I imply the Galaxy Watch Extremely settings discovered whenever you swipe down from the principle watch face, until I say in any other case.
Change your default assistant, apps, and shortcuts
For those who’re a fan of Samsung’s apps like Bixby and Samsung Pockets, then skip to the following part. However for everybody who prefers Google’s apps, Samsung permits you to change them in as your default choices. However you will have to obtain lots of them from the Play Retailer first, and never all of them could be activated in the identical place.
To modify your default apps, go to Settings > Apps > Select default apps. Here is the place you may make Google Assistant and Google Messages your default choices. Then, again in Settings, open Buttons and Gestures and, underneath Residence button, choose Press and maintain and select Assistant as a substitute of Bixby.
Sadly, Samsung refuses to allow you to remap the long-press again button shortcut from Samsung Pockets to Google Pockets (or anything). However on this similar menu, you may make the Double Press shortcut go to any app, together with Google Pockets.
When you’re on this Settings menu, you possibly can change what the Fast Button does; it defaults to Samsung Well being exercises, however you possibly can select the Stopwatch, Flashlight, or Water lock instruments as a substitute, or default to a selected exercise kind.
Lastly, if you wish to use Gboard as a substitute of Samsung Keyboard, obtain Gboard from the Play Retailer, then go to Settings > Common > Enter > Keyboard checklist and default > Default keyboard and select Gboard.
Activate gestures
Samsung has three gesture controls in the identical Buttons and gestures menu, all disabled by default. Samsung does not level these out throughout the preliminary buttons-and-functions tour, so that you would possibly by no means notice they’re there until you go searching.
Double pinch permits you to “reply calls, dismiss alerts, launch apps, management your music, and take pictures.” Shake to dismiss has you rotate your wrist twice to “decline incoming calls or dismiss alerts reminiscent of alarms, timers, and reminders.” Knock knock has you bend your wrist down twice to drag up whichever app you need.
You may flip every on or off individually, so you will should resolve in the event that they’re worthwhile to you. Our Galaxy Watch 7 reviewer praised these shortcuts, even whereas saying they solely work about 70% of the time. It is sensible to strive them for your self and see if (A) you may have points with false positives and (B) you discover it simpler than counting on the buttons. Personally, I really like “Knock knock” probably the most, just because I really like having extra shortcuts to my favourite apps as a substitute of getting to go looking within the app drawer.
Arrange Emergency SOS and Fall Detection
In an emergency, you possibly can press and maintain the Fast Button to set off a loud siren, to assist anybody close by discover you. However in the event you’re someplace remoted and have to name for assist, you possibly can faucet the Residence button 5 occasions to name 911 out of your watch, in addition to ship your location and an SOS message to your emergency contacts. And your watch can auto-call 911 if it detects you falling.
A few of these options should be arrange prematurely, nonetheless! Open your cellular Galaxy Wearable app with the Extremely synced and observe these steps:
1. Faucet Watch settings > Security and emergency.
2. Underneath Medical information, fill out your Identify, Medical circumstances, blood kind, allergy symptoms, drugs, organ donor standing, and different information.
3. Again in Security and emergency, faucet Emergency contacts > Add emergency contact and select whoever you’d need notified in an emergency out of your telephone Contacts. Then toggle Share throughout emergency calls and texts to make sure emergency response receives your medical information and emergency contact information.
4. Subsequent, faucet Emergency SOS. Change your Emergency quantity to name if obligatory (mine stated 112 as a substitute of 911) and resolve whether or not you need to toggle require swipe to name to forestall unintended 911 calls, or to Share information with emergency contacts to concurrently ship your information out as you name 911.
5. Lastly, toggle Exhausting fall detection on. With this perform, your watch will detect in the event you’ve all of a sudden stopped transferring and name 911 in the event you’re not acutely aware or in a position to reply to the on-wrist alert.
Restrict your notifications
I solely need sure notifications popping up on my wrist; I can examine much less essential ones later, and when sure apps buzz your wrist always, it turns into extra aggravating than useful.
Within the Galaxy Wearable cellular app, faucet Watch settings > Notifications > App notifications. Right here, you will notice a full checklist of put in apps and might individually toggle off apps you do not care to see.
By default, Sync Don’t disturb with telephone is toggled on, which suggests you need not fear about getting notifications at evening. I additionally like to enter Superior notification settings and toggle on Activate display screen. Which means that I need not twist my wrist each time I really feel a notification buzz; once I’m working at my desk, I like with the ability to look at my wrist with out having to maneuver it.
Replace your watch face
The cool factor concerning the Galaxy Watch Extremely is how its 3,000-nit show can squeeze in a ton of readable data and has some new, sporty watch faces by default. That stated, it is best to undoubtedly take the time to replace them with extra helpful information and your private aptitude.
You may edit watch faces on the Extremely instantly, however it’s a lot simpler to take action within the Galaxy Wearable app underneath Watch faces. There you possibly can select between all the default One UI 6 Watch choices or go downloading from the Play Retailer. Sadly, as a result of Put on OS 5 makes use of a brand new XML Watch Face Format, it is incompatible with the favored watch face app Facer.
Nonetheless, you will discover loads of customization choices in the principle Wearable app. With the brand new Extremely Analog watch face, for example, you possibly can edit the colour, model, fingers, evening mode look, and all eight problems, so you possibly can see all method of various information based mostly on what you care about. Merely choose every standards, change what you need, then hit Save and it will instantly auto-update to the Extremely.
I wish to pre-customize and complicate a number of completely different watch faces . Then, if I am within the temper for a method change, I can simply faucet and maintain the principle display screen after which swap to one among my backups whereas holding the identical information I care about.
Alter your show and timeout settings
The Galaxy Watch Extremely lasts lengthy sufficient that I like to make use of the At all times-On Show (AOD) setting, make my display screen timeout delay longer, and maintain apps open and operating within the background in case my watch show turns off by mistake.
Swipe down from the principle watch face and faucet the Settings cog icon, then choose Show. Right here, you possibly can (and will) allow Adaptive brightness for apparent causes, then resolve whether or not to go away AOD on or off.
On this similar menu, I desire to regulate Display screen timeout to 1 minute and Present final app to Inside 2 minutes, simply to have probably the most flexibility. This can drain your battery a little bit sooner however really feel like an enchancment everytime you do use your Extremely.
You too can change the default font on this menu. For the visually impaired, the Gothic Daring font makes all textual content a bit bigger and simpler to learn at a fast look whenever you’re not sporting your glasses.
Learn to prolong your battery life
For polar-opposite folks extra involved about making the Galaxy Watch Extremely final so long as potential, let’s run via your choices.
First, the apparent one: Swipe all the way down to Fast settings and faucet the Battery with leaf icon to insta-trigger Energy Saver mode. This turns off the Get up gesture, AOD, and Wi-Fi, and it “limits” CPU efficiency, background community and site updates, and display screen brightness whereas shortening your display screen timeout.
By default, Energy Saver additionally disables auto-detected exercises, excessive/low HR alerts, steady HR / HRV / stress, and nightly pores and skin temp, SpO2, respiration, and sleep rating. However Samsung appears to know that you just would possibly need to minimize the smarts however maintain the well being information in Energy Saver mode; go to Settings > Battery and toggle Restrict well being options to Off to retain them. It makes Energy Saver much less environment friendly however extra life like that you just’d need to use it.
One different battery-saving possibility is so as to add extra Sleeping apps. Basically, this ensures that sure apps will examine for notifications “solely sometimes,” delaying data. It is type of a semi-DND for apps that you could’t flip off solely however know you do not get many notifications or do not care about seeing them instantly.
Lengthen Unlock your Samsung telephone
One in all my favourite Put on OS options is to maintain my telephone unlocked if it detects my smartwatch close by. Toggling this instrument is simple, as long as you may have a Galaxy telephone.
Open your telephone settings, then Lock display screen and AOD > Lengthen Unlock. You will be prompted to enter your telephone PIN. Then faucet Trusted units > Add trusted gadget and select your Galaxy Watch Extremely out of the checklist of linked Bluetooth units.
Understand that Lengthen Unlock works even in the event you’re not at the moment sporting your watch; somebody may theoretically decide up your unattended watch as a key to unlock your telephone. For those who’re frightened about that, you possibly can go into the Modes and Routines settings and make it in order that Lengthen Unlock solely works at a specific location or time, whenever you’re much less prone to take your watch off or depart your telephone unattended.
Add music recordsdata to your watch
The Galaxy Watch Extremely can stream your playlists from well-liked music streaming apps over its built-in LTE connection in the event you add it to your mobile plan, however that is additionally a battery killer, even for a long-lasting watch. A greater possibility is to make use of the doubled space for storing and pre-install your music playlists, podcasts, or audiobooks onto the Extremely. That manner, you possibly can depart your telephone at dwelling and deal with the Extremely like a real standalone gadget.
This information on easy methods to add music recordsdata to Galaxy Watches runs via the steps in additional element, however to briefly summarize, you open the Galaxy Wearable app in your telephone, faucet Handle content material > Tracks on watch, and add any playlists, albums, or particular songs you need.
In any other case, in the event you subscribe to a selected music streaming app like Spotify, you possibly can usually obtain offline playlists instantly from every respective app. The identical applies to Put on OS apps like Audible (which has you pre-download audiobooks onto the watch) or Put on Casts for podcasts. You then simply want some Galaxy Buds 3 Professional or different wi-fi earbuds to pair with the Extremely.
On a considerably associated be aware, in the event you desire to stream via your telephone, you could need to go to Settings > Superior options > Auto launch media controls. This makes the controls seem by default after you begin a playlist or video, so that you need not go attempting to find them.
Purchase some backup bands
For those who preordered your Galaxy Watch Extremely, you bought a second band to go together with whichever you picked. In any other case, you are caught along with your single Marine, Path, or Peakform band, every with its specific perks and disadvantages. Since Samsung expenses a whopping $79 for its official bands and the Extremely makes use of a proprietary band connector, you will should search for some third-party choices if you wish to change issues up.
We’ve a complete information on Galaxy Watch Extremely bands it is best to take into account; you will both should go together with low-cost, generic bands from nonsensically-named manufacturers or pay full worth on Samsung’s superior choices. Both manner, the advantage of the Extremely is that swapping your band takes lower than a minute due to how simple it’s to pop them out and slide new ones again in.
Activate developer choices
For those who actually need to get probably the most out of your Galaxy Watch Extremely, strive enjoying with the identical settings that the Put on OS builders secretly use. They typically have drawbacks that make them unfit for on a regular basis customers, however you would possibly nonetheless need to strive them.
In Settings, scroll all the way in which all the way down to About watch, then faucet Software program data and discover the Software program model area. Then faucet it 5 occasions. A Developer Mode pop-up ought to flash, so again as much as Settings and you may see Developer choices underneath About watch.
There are dozens of developer choices, too many to debate right here, however I used to be pleasantly shocked to see Power full GNSS measurements. Samsung already gave the Galaxy Watch Extremely higher monitoring accuracy, however this dev mode makes your watch examine your location extra regularly on the expense of battery life. For those who do not thoughts the trade-off, this could make your outcomes much more correct.
You too can toggle issues like Vibrate on connectivity change to warn you in the event you depart or enter a community, or guarantee your watch stays awake whereas charging in the event you wish to have it sit in your desk throughout that point. An particularly well-liked setting, based mostly on what I’ve seen on Reddit, is to shorten the animation when switching between apps or menus to 0.5x.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely has the identical software program as previous Galaxy Watches, barring a number of Put on OS 5 modifications. Apart from the brand new Fast Button shortcuts and gestures, a lot of the expertise will really feel fairly acquainted to you, or to followers of Android watches normally.
I did not cowl some suggestions like ensuring to put on your Extremely to mattress to see your Vitality Rating, or to take an ECG studying and observe the prompts to arrange the leads to the Samsung Well being monitor app — since most Galaxy Watch homeowners will naturally determine these issues out on their very own. Hopefully, this Galaxy Watch Extremely newbie’s information could have proven you issues that you just won’t have seen by yourself!
Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely
Accommodates hidden depths
The Galaxy Watch Extremely prices greater than your typical smartwatch, so be sure to’re getting your cash’s price by updating all the above settings straight out of the field. It is a long-lived smartwatch — each for its 60-hour battery life and 4 years of Put on OS updates — so you will need to benefit from these perks.