Samsung's Next Galaxy Watch Update Preps Now Bar, Shortcuts, Battery Charging Limits

Samsung is preparing a big new update for Galaxy Watch and its features are continuing to leak, with the latest details including a version of the “Now Bar,” as well as other new features and tweaks.

Leaked APKs from a One UI 8 Watch build hit the web earlier this week, and Android Authority has been digging through those APKs. Some of the new features spotted have been revealed in part, including that Galaxy Watch is likely getting a form of the “Now Bar” that debuted in One UI 7.

Strings suggest that the Now Bar will be a part of watch faces in Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch update, presumably as a complication. That sounds rather similar to Google’s At a Glance complication for Wear OS.

Icon only
Icon with text while screen is on
Double pinch to open the Now bar shown on your watch face.
Turn on Secondary action to move through notifications or tiles when your Now bar is empty.
Check the information you need right now on your watch face. Sports on Google

Supported features of the Now Bar on Galaxy Watch apparently include Contextual Suggestions, Maps, Media Controls, Now Brief, and sports scores powered by Google.

Another new feature coming is a “Shortcuts” app or widget. This appears to simply allow users to create a group of app shortcuts that will seemingly appear on tiles. Images of the feature also line up with some previously leaked icons. Tiles can show in 2×1 or 2×2 sizes.

Select apps
App Icon
Get started
Select apps
Tap to add apps.

A new “shuffle” option for watch faces would also keep things looking fresh each day. Strings suggest that this option would be “based on your favorites,” but picked randomly.

Show watch face recommend based on your favorites
Shuffle watch face
Recommend watch face
Similar style to the watch face you’re using
Set watch face randomly picked from your favourites
To shuffle your watch faces, you need more than 1 favorite watch faces

Finally, it sounds like Galaxy Watch will also be getting its own version of the Pixel’s “Adaptive Charging” feature – which has not yet rolled out to Pixel Watch, but is still rumored to be coming. A “Battery Protection” feature would stop charging when the battery level hits a certain level, then resume charging when it drops back down. These values appear to be customizable, but there are no guarantee just yet.