Samsung One UI 5 Watch Beta Update Lets Users Switch Galaxy Watch Between Phones Without a Reset: Report

Samsung has reportedly made the Google Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 Watch software update available to select beta testers in the US and South Korea. The update will allow owners of a Galaxy Watch to transfer their watch data and settings to a new phone without a factory reset. The feature is said to be available via the Galaxy Wearable app on Samsung smartphones. The upcoming Samsung One UI 5 Watch update is also expected to bring new features such as a Sleep Insights user interface and smart health monitors like a personalised heart rate zone.

According to a report by 9to5Google, the new One UI 5 Watch beta update allows users to switch to a new phone without a factory reset. This is a Wear OS 4 feature that is also expected to come to other smartwatches that receive the update. Users will be able to retain settings, watch faces, and apps when moving to another smartphone.

The feature to transfer a smartwatch from one smartphone to another can be found in the general settings section of the Galaxy Wearable app, as per the report, which adds that the new functionality will let users switch devices while retaining settings configurations, watch faces, and installed apps.

9to5Google also tested out the feature on a Galaxy Watch 5. The publication says that users will be asked to verify that the Google Account on the new phone is the same as the one tied to the linked Galaxy Watch.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 5 series and Galaxy Watch 4 series users in South Korea and the US have confirmed the availability of the latest One UI 5 Watch Beta update via Samsung's community forum. The One UI 5 Watch update is a 1.7GB download and adds a few new features including a new Sleep Insights UI, smart health monitors like a personalised heart rate zone, which is said to offer real-time running analysis, and a customised interval training program.

It is also said to be equipped with an improved SOS feature, universal gestures like making a fist or shaking your wrist to initiate actions, and the ability to set the photo album as wallpaper. The One UI 5 Watch update is expected to roll out to eligible Galaxy Watch models later this year.