Your Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely has arrived, and now you are questioning whether or not you made the appropriate 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 doable.
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 function, new or previous, that requires you to dive into settings earlier than you entry them. Listed below are my Galaxy Watch Extremely ideas and tips for getting began!
Observe: At any time when I say “Settings” under, I imply the Galaxy Watch Extremely settings discovered while you swipe down from the principle watch face, until I say in any other case.
Change your default assistant, apps, and shortcuts
In the event you’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 helps you to swap them in as your default choices. However you may must obtain a lot of them from the Play Retailer first, and never all of them may be activated in the identical place.
To change your default apps, go to Settings > Apps > Select default apps. This is the place you can also make Google Assistant and Google Messages your default choices. Then, again in Settings, open Buttons and Gestures and, beneath House 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 the rest). However on this identical menu, you can also make the Double Press shortcut go to any app, together with Google Pockets.
Whilst you’re on this Settings menu, you may change what the Fast Button does; it defaults to Samsung Well being exercises, however you may select the Stopwatch, Flashlight, or Water lock instruments as a substitute, or default to a particular 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 listing 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 would not level these out throughout the preliminary buttons-and-functions tour, so that you would possibly by no means understand they’re there until you go searching.
Double pinch helps 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 akin to alarms, timers, and reminders.” Knock knock has you bend your wrist down twice to tug up whichever app you need.
You possibly can flip every on or off individually, so you may need to 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 smart to attempt them for your self and see if (A) you will 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 may press and maintain the Fast Button to set off a loud siren, to assist anybody close by discover you. However should you’re someplace remoted and must name for assist, you may faucet the House button 5 instances 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 have to be arrange upfront, nonetheless! Open your cellular Galaxy Wearable app with the Extremely synced and comply with these steps:
1. Faucet Watch settings > Security and emergency.
2. Beneath Medical data, fill out your Identify, Medical situations, blood kind, allergy symptoms, medicines, organ donor standing, and different data.
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 cellphone Contacts. Then toggle Share throughout emergency calls and texts to make sure emergency response receives your medical data and emergency contact data.
4. Subsequent, faucet Emergency SOS. Change your Emergency quantity to name if essential (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 data with emergency contacts to concurrently ship your data out as you name 911.
5. Lastly, toggle Laborious fall detection on. With this perform, your watch will detect should you’ve immediately stopped transferring and name 911 should you’re not aware or ready 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 vital ones later, and when sure apps buzz your wrist consistently, it turns into extra aggravating than useful.
Within the Galaxy Wearable cellular app, faucet Watch settings > Notifications > App notifications. Right here, you will note a full listing of put in apps and may individually toggle off apps you do not care to see.
By default, Sync Don’t disturb with cellphone is toggled on, which implies you need not fear about getting notifications at night time. I additionally like to enter Superior notification settings and toggle on Activate display. 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 in regards to 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 positively take the time to replace them with extra helpful data and your private aptitude.
You possibly can edit watch faces on the Extremely instantly, but it surely’s a lot simpler to take action within the Galaxy Wearable app beneath Watch faces. There you may select between the entire 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 may discover loads of customization choices in the principle Wearable app. With the brand new Extremely Analog watch face, as an example, you may edit the colour, model, arms, night time mode look, and all eight problems, so you may 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 prefer to pre-customize and complicate a number of completely different watch faces unexpectedly. Then, if I am within the temper for a mode change, I can simply faucet and maintain the principle display after which swap to one in all my backups whereas retaining the identical information I care about.
Modify 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 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 may (and may) allow Adaptive brightness for apparent causes, then resolve whether or not to go away AOD on or off.
On this identical menu, I desire to regulate Display timeout to 1 minute and Present final app to Inside 2 minutes, simply to have probably the most flexibility. It will drain your battery a bit of 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 while you’re not carrying your glasses.
Discover ways to lengthen your battery life
For polar-opposite folks extra involved about making the Galaxy Watch Extremely final so long as doable, let’s run via your choices.
First, the plain 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 placement updates, and display brightness whereas shortening your display 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 lifelike 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 kind of a semi-DND for apps that you could’t flip off completely however know you aren’t getting many notifications or do not care about seeing them instantly.
Prolong Unlock your Samsung cellphone
Certainly one of my favourite Put on OS options is to maintain my cellphone unlocked if it detects my smartwatch close by. Toggling this instrument is simple, as long as you will have a Galaxy cellphone.
Open your cellphone settings, then Lock display and AOD > Prolong Unlock. You may be prompted to enter your cellphone PIN. Then faucet Trusted gadgets > Add trusted gadget and select your Galaxy Watch Extremely out of the listing of related Bluetooth gadgets.
Remember that Prolong Unlock works even should you’re not at present carrying your watch; somebody may theoretically decide up your unattended watch as a key to unlock your cellphone. In the event you’re apprehensive about that, you may go into the Modes and Routines settings and make it in order that Prolong Unlock solely works at a selected location or time, while you’re much less prone to take your watch off or go away your cellphone unattended.
Add music information to your watch
The Galaxy Watch Extremely can stream your playlists from fashionable music streaming apps over its built-in LTE connection should 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 may go away your cellphone at dwelling and deal with the Extremely like a real standalone gadget.
This information on the best way to add music information to Galaxy Watches runs via the steps in additional element, however to briefly summarize, you open the Galaxy Wearable app in your cellphone, faucet Handle content material > Tracks on watch, and add any playlists, albums, or particular songs you need.
In any other case, should you subscribe to a particular music streaming app like Spotify, you may 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, should you desire to stream via your cellphone, chances are you’ll 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 trying to find them.
Purchase some backup bands
In the event you 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 costs a whopping $79 for its official bands and the Extremely makes use of a proprietary band connector, you may need to search for some third-party choices if you wish to swap issues up.
We now have an entire information on Galaxy Watch Extremely bands it is best to contemplate; you may both need to 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 straightforward it’s to pop them out and slide new ones again in.
Activate developer choices
In the event you actually need to get probably the most out of your Galaxy Watch Extremely, attempt 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 attempt 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 discipline. Then faucet it 5 instances. A Developer Mode pop-up ought to flash, so again as much as Settings and you will see Developer choices beneath 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 ceaselessly on the expense of battery life. In the event you 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 should you go away or enter a community, or guarantee your watch stays awake whereas charging should you prefer to have it sit in your desk throughout that point. An particularly fashionable 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 adjustments. Apart from the brand new Fast Button shortcuts and gestures, many of the expertise will really feel fairly acquainted to you, or to followers of Android watches generally.
I did not cowl some ideas like ensuring to put on your Extremely to mattress to see your Vitality Rating, or to take an ECG studying and comply with the prompts to arrange the ends in the Samsung Well being monitor app — since most Galaxy Watch house owners will naturally determine these issues out on their very own. Hopefully, this Galaxy Watch Extremely newbie’s information can have proven you issues that you just may not 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 value by updating the entire 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 may need to take advantage of these perks.
