5 Of The Best Samsung Galaxy Watch Apps You Should Have Installed
Samsung's smartwatch lineup underwent a major transformation in 2021 when it abandoned its proprietary TizenOS in favor of Google's WearOS platform for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series. Besides giving a fresh lease of life to Google's WearOS, this was also a significant consumer-centric move for Samsung Galaxy Watch users, who now had the vast app repertoire of the WearOS platform at their disposal. Samsung Galaxy Watch models remain the most popular WearOS-based smartwatch brand on the planet and are often the first choice for people who want to add a smartwatch to their existing Android ecosystem.
If you happen to be one such individual who ended up getting yourself a brand new Samsung Galaxy Watch, here are some apps that should be on the list of must-installs. All of these apps are easily available for download via the Google Play Store for WearOS.
Note that this list consciously avoids popular (and obvious) apps that most people know of. I hope you have as much fun using these apps on your shiny new Samsung Galaxy Watch as I did finding them. Also, if you are wondering how these five apps ended up in this list, be sure to read till the end to find out the methodology I used to select them.
Camera One
Despite smartphone improvements over the years, the challenge of capturing group photos without the hassle of finding someone to take the picture remains unsolved. While timers can be useful, nobody enjoys the rush to get in position for each shot. Surely, there must be a more convenient solution.
Well, if you happen to own a WearOS-powered Samsung Galaxy Watch, you can now achieve this effortlessly by simply installing a dedicated app on your watch. The Camera One app connects your WearOS smartwatch to your smartphone, following which you can use your watch as a remote shutter for controlling your phone camera.
Note that this app isn't just limited to remotely clicking pictures and can also be helpful in turning your watch into a viewfinder for your phone's camera. You can even adjust basic camera settings without touching your phone. We think this app will definitely make life easier for folks who take a lot of family photographs.
While I did not run into major issues while using the app, some users did notice an issue with the app while using it with the Samsung Galaxy S23, wherein the app defaults to the HEVC file format while clicking pictures. Additionally, while using this app with the S23 Ultra, users were unable to use the full 10x zoom range of the camera, and it only goes up to 8x.
Audible for WearOS
You know, I wasn't completely honest when I said I would not include popular (and obvious) apps in this list. However, I am making an exception for Amazon's audiobook service, Audible. This is because people have waited several years for Amazon to come up with a WearOS-focused version of Audible. The company finally announced it in late 2023, and as things stand now, you can actually use a WearOS-toting Samsung Galaxy Watch to listen to your favorite audiobooks. This is a handy feature that could prove useful to many users.
Audible for WearOS works exactly like its smartphone counterpart. You'd first need to install the app from the Google Play Store. Once installed, you can access your complete Audible library right on your Samsung Galaxy watch without even having to touch your smartphone. The app gives users the option to either download or stream content. The full-fledged app also lets you manage your library and perform functions like deleting downloaded audiobooks and getting a quick overview of all the content you have downloaded.
I did not encounter major issues or bugs while using the app on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. However, some users have occasionally reported that the app crashes and becomes unresponsive.
Navigation Pro
Turn-by-turn navigation has become such a staple feature on smartphones that it is now virtually impossible to think of navigating the world without it. However, having your phone out while looking for directions is not always convenient. For example, when navigating a new city on foot, having your Samsung Galaxy Watch take the onus of showing you the way is more convenient. This is where the Navigation Pro app comes into the picture.
While Google Maps for WearOS does a decent job at this, things get even better with the Navigation Pro app for Samsung Galaxy Watch models. Features enabled by the Navigation Pro include a large font that displays clear instructions and tactile vibration alerts that go off when you reach a turn or exit.
Navigating Ahmedabad's (the city where I live) chaotic backstreets was a breeze, with Navigation Pro guiding me without needing my phone constantly in hand. Keeping my phone tucked away in bustling cities and unfamiliar neighborhoods felt safer, making Navigation Pro an indispensable road trip companion. Other probable use cases of Navigation Pro include using it while cycling and while taking public transport.
WearMouse
Imagine controlling your devices, not with a mouse or remote, but with a simple flick of your wrist. That's the power of WearMouse, an app that transforms your Samsung Galaxy Watch into a versatile control hub for your laptop, desktop, and even your Android TV. This app uses Bluetooth to connect to any compatible device. Once the connection is established, you can add a bit of excitement to otherwise mundane tasks like moving your mouse pointer just by waving your hand and breezing past a multiple-slide presentation by simply tapping the sides of your watch screen.
I'll be honest; there aren't many common use cases for this app, but there are people out there who use this app to remotely control media playback on their PC when they are some distance away from the mouse.
That being said, the beauty of WearMouse lies in its universal appeal. It works flawlessly with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Android (including Android TV) as long as your device has Bluetooth. Setting it up is a breeze — no additional software, just a simple pairing, and you're ready to wield the power of your watch.
Moon on Wear
For years, watchmakers have tried several ways to track and depict various moon phases on the watch face. Called the moon phase complication, it essentially indicates the current state of the moon (like if it is in a new, full, half, or quarter phase). Once common on older, high-end watches, this feature also makes its way into smartwatches. Of course, with smartwatches and their modern displays and support for location access, app developers can now design several eye-catching moon phase complications.
Moon on Wear is an excellent moon phase application that should appeal to astronomy nerds and pique normal folks' interest, thanks to its support for various catchy moon phase complications. The app displays a large, high-resolution moon that rotates in sync with your location, showcasing its real-time appearance. And for those who like to plan their moonlit adventures, Moon on Wear provides accurate moonrise and moonset timings.
So, whether you're a seasoned stargazer or simply captivated by the moon's ethereal glow, Moon on Wear is an invitation to step outside, gaze up, and appreciate the timeless beauty of the cosmos right from your wrist.
How did we select these apps?
All of the Samsung Galaxy Watch-focused apps listed above made it to the list after being tested using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, which I had at my disposal. It took me several hours to scour through the vast repertoire of apps on the Play Store to finally arrive at these five.
Once shortlisted, I installed them on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to make sure none of these apps suffered from annoying bugs or issues. That being said, there is no denying that the WearOS Google Play Store is a virtual goldmine where countless excellent Galaxy Watch apps await discovery, each offering unique features or solving specific needs you might not even know you have.