Samsung Galaxy Watches will get a substantial overhaul with the release of One UI 8 Watch, which might arrive as early as June or July and is expected to incorporate Google Gemini, a Shortcuts app, and Samsung’s Now Bar.
Following claims that Samsung will bypass One UI 7 Watch in favor of One UI 8 Watch, a move that will unify the branding of Samsung’s watch software with its top Samsung phones— One UI 8 APKs have leaked, revealing the new features coming to Galaxy wearables.
According to Android Authority, Gemini AI will be available on both Samsung watches and its own Pixel portfolio, along with some interesting new capabilities. The findings indicate that new ‘Gemini Actions’ will bring many of the same fantastic Gemini capabilities for Android phones to your wrist, with code strings hinting at numerous intriguing actions.
References include Gemini Actions, which can relocate meetings, summarize emails, and tell you the weather, as well as an input that allows you to rapidly mute Gemini AI with a single press of your screen.
As mentioned in a separate article, AA has also discovered a new Watch app called Shortcuts, which allows you to add apps to your Galaxy Watch home screen as either 2 x 1 or 2 x 2 tiles, making them considerably more accessible.
Finally, the publication reports that Samsung will add One UI 7’s Now Bar and Now Brief to the Galaxy Watch. The Samsung Now Bar appears on the home screen of your Galaxy smartphone, displaying information such as live notifications, music, and more. According to AA, users will be able to select between a simple icon and a larger display that includes both an icon and text.
Users will also reportedly be able to double-pinch to open the Now Bar, and enable other actions if there’s no content in the bar.
“Essentially, the Now Bar on Galaxy Watches will serve as a widget system, surfacing contextually relevant data without needing to navigate away from the watch face,” the report explains, specifically noting contextual suggestions, maps, media controls, Now Brief, tips, and Sports on Google (live sports scores).
There are undoubtedly other significant features hiding beneath the surface that will be revealed when One UI 8 Watch approaches its formal release. Customers should expect a significant software upgrade for devices such as the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
Naturally, these modifications will be incorporated into the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8, which is slated to be released later this year.
Google Pixel Watch 5 (45mm)
Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
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