Samsung has kicked off the One UI 8 Watch Beta Program for select Galaxy Watches in the US and South Korea, starting today. This update, built on Wear OS 6, brings a bunch of fresh features and improvements for Galaxy Watch 5 and newer models. Sadly, Galaxy Watch 4 users won’t get this beta.

The update, weighing about 1.8GB, includes the May 2025 security patch. It introduces four main health features: Bedtime Guidance to help you sleep better, Vascular Load to check heart health, Running Coach for personalized workout tips, and Antioxidant Index to measure wellness. The Antioxidant Index is a beta feature that uses the watch’s BioActive Sensor.

Other cool additions include the Now Bar for quick info, a double-pinch gesture for easy controls, and the option to mark reminders as important. Notifications now look better, watch faces are easier to find, and you can create custom tiles for your home screen. A new Mindfulness feature also helps you stay calm and focused.

This beta is only for Galaxy Watch 5, 6, 7, and Ultra models. If you’re in the US or South Korea, you can join the beta to test these features early. Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event on July 9, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York, might share more about this update, so stay tuned! For more details, check Samsung’s official newsroom.

One UI 8 Watch Beta Complete Changelog:

Get things done

Stay on top of important tasks with the Now bar

Check the information you need right now and start essential features straight from your watch face. Ongoing tasks will appear in the Now bar at the bottom of your watch face so you can check key information quickly.

Do more with double pinch

Just pinch your thumb and index finger together twice to scroll through notifications, control music, take pictures, and more. You can also customize what happens when you double pinch on the watch face, music controller, as well as alarm, calendar, and reminder alerts. Choose the actions you need most in each situation.

Mark reminders as important

Mark reminders as important by tapping the Star icon. Important reminders will appear at the top of your reminder list to make sure you notice them.

New charging effects

When your watch is charging, the new screen layout and animations make it easier to check the current battery level and remaining charging time.

Stay connected

Easily respond to notifications and alerts

Use gestures to quickly respond to notifications and alerts. When a notification appears, you can double pinch to view the details or send a reply. You can also shake your wrist to return to the watch face.

Enhanced notification view

Notifications on your watch are now easier to use with an attractive new design. Notifications from the same app are stacked vertically, allowing you to view more notifications with fewer swipes.

Smarter notification settings

It’s now easier to decide how to receive notifications from your phone on your watch. If you choose Smart device selection, notifications will appear on your phone only when you’re using it and on your watch when you’re not using your phone. If you choose Always show on both, notifications will always appear on both your phone and watch.

Upgrade your health

Bedtime guidance

Get to sleep at the right time so you wake up feeling refreshed. The new Bedtime guidance feature analyzes your sleep data and recommends the best time to go to sleep each night.

Mindfulness

Manage stress and anxiety in your daily life with the new Mindfulness feature in Samsung Health. You can keep track of your moods and emotions and practice breathing exercises to reduce stress.

Tailored to you

Find the perfect watch face

It’s now easier to find the watch face that’s right for you. Just choose a few keywords such as your preferred style, color, and information to show. The best matches will be suggested from our collection of more than 300 watch faces.

Recommended watch faces

Discover new watch faces that you might like. Watch faces with colors, style, or information similar to your current watch face will be recommended on the watch face selection screen.

Create your own tiles

Create your own custom tiles that show the information you need. You can even combine information from different apps into a single tile. You can include weather information, calendar events, reminders, and more.

Personalized Apps screen

Featured apps now appear at the top of your Apps screen to give you quick access to the apps you need the most. Apps will be featured based on how often you use them and other usage patterns. You can also view your apps as a list with names instead of only icons.

Choose calendars to show on your watch

You can now choose which calendars to show in the Calendar app on your watch. You can show all of the same calendars that are on your phone or customize to show only the calendars you need.