Get Started with Your Samsung Galaxy Watch
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch tracks steps, heart rate, sleep, and workouts while showing your phone notifications.
5 min read · 6 steps · Checked April 2026
Step 1. Charge the watch before pairing
Place your Galaxy Watch on the included charging pad with the watch face pointing up. The charging pad connects via USB to a power adapter. Allow the watch to charge to at least 50% before starting setup — a partially charged watch can lose power during the initial update process. You will see a battery percentage on the watch screen when it is charging.
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: The circular charging pad must be properly seated — the watch should snap or rest securely in the center. If the charging indicator does not appear within a few seconds, re-seat the watch on the pad.
Step 2. Download the Galaxy Wearable app and pair the watch
On your Samsung phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app (pre-installed on most Samsung Galaxy phones; search for it in the Galaxy Store if needed). Turn on your Galaxy Watch by pressing and holding the top physical button until the Samsung logo appears. On your phone, the Galaxy Wearable app should detect the watch automatically. Follow the on-screen instructions — you will confirm a PIN shown on the watch and accept Bluetooth pairing. The initial setup takes about 5 to 10 minutes including updates.
Step 3. Customize your watch face
On the watch, press and hold the watch face to enter watch face editing mode. Swipe left and right to browse available watch faces. Tap one to apply it. For more options, open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone and tap "Watch Faces". You can browse hundreds of faces and download new ones from the Galaxy Store. Many watch faces show health stats like heart rate, steps, and battery level directly on the face.
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: Choose a watch face that shows the information you care most about right at a glance — steps, heart rate, and next calendar event are popular choices that save you from navigating into apps often.
Step 4. Set up health tracking
Open the Samsung Health app on your phone (it comes pre-installed on Galaxy phones). Enter your age, height, weight, and daily step goal. The app uses this information to calculate calorie burn and give accurate health insights. Your Galaxy Watch automatically tracks steps, heart rate, and sleep every day once paired. You do not need to start anything manually for basic tracking.
Step 5. Start a workout
Press the top button on your Galaxy Watch to open the apps menu. Swipe or rotate the bezel (on models with a rotating bezel) to find the Workout app. Tap it, then select your activity — Running, Walking, Cycling, Strength Training, Swimming, and many more. Tap the green start button. The watch will track your heart rate, duration, and GPS route (for outdoor activities). Press the top button at the end to stop and save the workout.
Quick Tip
Quick Tip: Turn on Auto Workout Detection in the Samsung Health app settings. The watch will then automatically begin tracking when it detects you have been doing a workout activity for more than 10 minutes.
Step 6. Manage notifications and check battery
To control which notifications appear on your watch, open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone and tap "Notifications." Toggle on the apps whose alerts you want to see on your wrist. During the day, swipe down on the watch face to see your notifications, and swipe up to see health stats. To check battery life, swipe down on the watch face — the battery percentage appears in the top corner. Charge nightly or every two days depending on use.
Warning
Keep Bluetooth turned on your phone for the watch to stay connected and sync data. If you leave Bluetooth off, notifications will not reach the watch and health data will not sync until Bluetooth is re-enabled.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a smartwatch that connects to your Samsung Galaxy phone (or most Android phones) and acts as an extension of your phone on your wrist. It tracks your daily health data — steps, heart rate, sleep quality, stress levels, and workouts — and displays notifications from your phone so you can see who is calling or texting without pulling out your phone.
Galaxy Watches run Wear OS with Samsung's One UI Watch interface layered on top. They connect to your phone via Bluetooth and, on some models, also have their own cellular connection so they can work even when you leave your phone at home.
For health tracking, the Galaxy Watch automatically detects many workouts without you needing to start them. It will notice you have been running or cycling and start tracking automatically. You can also start a workout manually from the watch by pressing the top button and selecting "Workout." Samsung Health, the companion app on your phone, stores all your health data and shows trends over time.
The watch battery usually lasts 1 to 3 days depending on the model and how many features you use. GPS workout tracking drains the battery faster than regular use. Charging uses a wireless charging pad that comes in the box — set the watch on the pad with the screen facing up.
To get the full experience, you should use a Samsung Galaxy phone with the Galaxy Wearable app. The watch will still work with non-Samsung Android phones, but some features are limited. It does not work with iPhones.
Official sources
- Samsung Support — samsung.com
- Galaxy User Manuals — samsung.com
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