Your Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely has arrived, and now you are questioning whether or not you made the precise 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 attainable.
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 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 methods for getting began!
Word: Each time I say “Settings” under, I imply the Galaxy Watch Extremely settings discovered while you swipe down from the principle watch face, except I say in any other case.
Change your default assistant, apps, and shortcuts
If you happen to’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 may must obtain lots of them from the Play Retailer first, and never all of them will be activated in the identical place.
To change 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, below Dwelling button, choose Press and maintain and select Assistant as an alternative 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 identical menu, you may make the Double Press shortcut go to any app, together with Google Pockets.
When you’re on this Settings menu, you’ll be able to change what the Fast Button does; it defaults to Samsung Well being exercises, however you’ll be able to select the Stopwatch, Flashlight, or Water lock instruments as an alternative, or default to a particular exercise sort.
Lastly, if you wish to use Gboard as an alternative of Samsung Keyboard, obtain Gboard from the Play Retailer, then go to Settings > Basic > 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 through the preliminary buttons-and-functions tour, so that you would possibly by no means notice they’re there except 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 equivalent to alarms, timers, and reminders.” Knock knock has you bend your wrist down twice to tug up whichever app you need.
You may flip every on or off individually, so you may should determine 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’ve points with false positives and (B) you discover it simpler than counting on the buttons. Personally, I like “Knock knock” probably the most, just because I like having extra shortcuts to my favourite apps as an alternative of getting to go looking within the app drawer.
Arrange Emergency SOS and Fall Detection
In an emergency, you’ll be able to 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 must name for assist, you’ll be able to faucet the Dwelling 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 upfront, nonetheless! Open your cell 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 sort, 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 needed (mine mentioned 112 as an alternative of 911) and determine whether or not you wish to toggle require swipe to name to stop unintentional 911 calls, or to Share information with emergency contacts to concurrently ship your information out as you name 911.
5. Lastly, toggle Onerous 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 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 test much less necessary ones later, and when sure apps buzz your wrist continually, it turns into extra aggravating than useful.
Within the Galaxy Wearable cell app, faucet Watch settings > Notifications > App notifications. Right here, you will notice a full listing 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 night time. I additionally like to enter Superior notification settings and toggle on Activate display. Because of this I need not twist my wrist each time I really feel a notification buzz; after 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 info and has some new, sporty watch faces by default. That mentioned, you must undoubtedly take the time to replace them with extra helpful information and your private aptitude.
You may edit watch faces on the Extremely straight, however it’s a lot simpler to take action within the Galaxy Wearable app below Watch faces. There you’ll be able to 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’ll be able to edit the colour, type, arms, night time mode look, and all eight problems, so you’ll be able to see all method of various knowledge 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 just a few 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 among my backups whereas protecting the identical knowledge I care about.
Regulate 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 hold 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’ll be able to (and may) allow Adaptive brightness for apparent causes, then determine whether or not to go away AOD on or off.
On this identical menu, I want 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 little bit quicker however really feel like an enchancment everytime you do use your Extremely.
You can even 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.
Learn to prolong your battery life
For polar-opposite folks extra involved about making the Galaxy Watch Extremely final so long as attainable, let’s run by means of 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 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 simply would possibly wish to lower the smarts however hold the well being knowledge 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 sensible that you simply’d wish to use it.
One different battery-saving possibility is so as to add extra Sleeping apps. Basically, this ensures that sure apps will test for notifications “solely often,” delaying info. It is kind of a semi-DND for apps that you may’t flip off totally however know you aren’t getting many notifications or do not care about seeing them instantly.
Lengthen Unlock your Samsung telephone
Certainly one of my favourite Put on OS options is to maintain my telephone unlocked if it detects my smartwatch close by. Toggling this software is easy, as long as you’ve a Galaxy telephone.
Open your telephone settings, then Lock display and AOD > Lengthen Unlock. You will be prompted to enter your telephone PIN. Then faucet Trusted gadgets > Add trusted gadget and select your Galaxy Watch Extremely out of the listing of linked Bluetooth gadgets.
Needless to say Lengthen Unlock works even in the event you’re not presently carrying your watch; somebody may theoretically decide up your unattended watch as a key to unlock your telephone. If you happen to’re nervous about that, you’ll be able to go into the Modes and Routines settings and make it in order that Lengthen Unlock solely works at a specific location or time, while you’re much less prone to take your watch off or go away your telephone unattended.
Add music information to your watch
The Galaxy Watch Extremely can stream your playlists from standard 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 approach, you’ll be able to go away your telephone at house and deal with the Extremely like a real standalone gadget.
This information on learn how to add music information to Galaxy Watches runs by means of 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 particular music streaming app like Spotify, you’ll be able to usually obtain offline playlists straight 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 notice, in the event you want to stream by means of your telephone, you could wish 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
If you happen to preordered your Galaxy Watch Extremely, you bought a second band to go together with whichever you picked. In any other case, you are caught together with your single Marine, Path, or Peakform band, every with its specific perks and drawbacks. Since Samsung expenses a whopping $79 for its official bands and the Extremely makes use of a proprietary band connector, you may should search for some third-party choices if you wish to change issues up.
We’ve an entire information on Galaxy Watch Extremely bands you must take into account; you may both should go together with low cost, generic bands from nonsensically-named manufacturers or pay full value on Samsung’s superior choices. Both approach, the benefit 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
If you happen to actually wish 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 usually have drawbacks that make them unfit for on a regular basis customers, however you would possibly nonetheless wish to strive them.
In Settings, scroll all the way in which all the way down to About watch, then faucet Software program info and discover the Software program model discipline. 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 below About watch.
There are dozens of developer choices, too many to debate right here, however I used to be pleasantly stunned to see Drive full GNSS measurements. Samsung already gave the Galaxy Watch Extremely higher monitoring accuracy, however this dev mode makes your watch test your location extra ceaselessly on the expense of battery life. If you happen to do not thoughts the trade-off, this could make your outcomes much more correct.
You can even toggle issues like Vibrate on connectivity change to warn you in the event you go away or enter a community, or guarantee your watch stays awake whereas charging in the event you prefer to have it sit in your desk throughout that point. An particularly standard 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 just a few Put on OS 5 adjustments. Except for 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 ideas 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 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 may have proven you issues that you simply won’t have seen by yourself!
Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely
Comprises hidden depths
The Galaxy Watch Extremely prices greater than your typical smartwatch, so ensure you’re getting your cash’s price 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 wish to benefit from these perks.