{"id":780523,"date":"2026-05-07T21:50:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/780523\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T21:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:50:17","slug":"these-are-the-5-settings-i-change-on-every-galaxy-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/780523\/","title":{"rendered":"These are the 5 settings I change on every Galaxy Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

My favorite thing about Samsung Galaxy Watches is the many options and customization features. It\u2019s a stark contrast to the Pixel Watch. However, that does mean it takes a bit of effort to get everything working just right. Here\u2019s where I start.<\/p>\n

Turn on the screen when notifications arrive<\/p>\n

Make notifications easily glanceable<\/p>\n

The whole point of smartwatches is to make it easier to see stuff without pulling out your phone. A big part of that for me is taking action on notifications. Weirdly, Galaxy watches don\u2019t turn on the screen when notifications come in. I always enable \u201cTurn on screen when notifications received.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I feel my wrist vibrate, I\u2019m going to want to see why right away. There\u2019s no point in tapping the screen or waiting for the \u201craise to wake\u201d gesture to kick in. It\u2019s a little thing, but it makes the watch work how I want it to work. Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Turn on screen when notifications received.<\/p>\n

Make sure Bixby is locked away for good<\/p>\n

Pick Google Assistant or Gemini, whatever your flavor<\/p>\n

Bixby is not the default assistant on Galaxy Watches, but it is the default action when you long-press the home button. One of the very first things I always do is make sure Google\u2019s assistant is in prime position.<\/p>\n

In the past, I used Google Assistant\u2014it still can be used on Wear OS\u2014but I\u2019ve been using Gemini as of late. Your Galaxy Watch will simply use whichever one you have enabled on your phone. Go to Settings > Buttons and gestures > Long press > Google Digital Assistant.<\/p>\n


\n \"Galaxy<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t12 apps for getting more out of your Galaxy Watch
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

These apps will make your smart watch genuinely smart.<\/p>\n

Get notifications for new phone apps<\/p>\n

I\u2019d rather opt-out than opt-in<\/p>\n

While some people may want as few notifications as possible, I worry about missing them. Wearing a smartwatch means I don\u2019t pull out my phone as much, and I don\u2019t want the nasty surprise of an important notification that I missed a few hours ago when I do.<\/p>\n

By default, when you install a new app, watch notifications are not automatically enabled. In my opinion, it\u2019s easier to turn off notifications after I\u2019ve been annoyed by them than remember to turn on new ones. Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > Auto turn on watch notifications for new phone apps.<\/p>\n

Change the default wallet app<\/p>\n

And give it a shortcut while you\u2019re at it<\/p>\n

Samsung Wallet is better than Bixby, but it\u2019s also not my cup of tea. There are two settings that I changed to make Google Wallet more easily accessible. First, I make sure Google Wallet is set as the default wallet app by going to Settings > Apps > Choose default apps > Wallet app > Google Wallet.<\/p>\n

Next, to make launching Google Wallet at checkout super fast, I bind it to the Home Button double-press shortcut. By default, this gesture takes you to the most recent app. That\u2019s not how I use smartwatches, so I\u2019m happy to take it over for something more useful. Settings > Buttons and gestures > Double press.<\/p>\n

Flip through notifications without touching<\/p>\n

Pinch your fingers to dismiss notifications<\/p>\n

Have I mentioned notifications are important to me? I also like to interact with the small screen on my Galaxy Watch as little as possible. Thankfully, there\u2019s a perfect solution: gestures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The \u201cdouble-pinch\u201d gesture (pinch your thumb and pointer finger twice) can be used for a variety of things depending on where you are. On the watch face, it opens the Now Bar, but if the Now Bar isn\u2019t shown, it can cycle through notifications. And when I\u2019m done, the \u201cShake\u201d gesture takes me back Home. Find both at Settings > Buttons and gestures.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, more options is a good thing<\/p>\n

Ironically, my favorite thing about Galaxy Watches is what I don\u2019t like about Galaxy phones<\/a>. I find Samsung\u2019s extra features on top of Wear OS to be genuinely useful, whereas One UI on phones feels like too much. With a few tweaks, I\u2019ve got my Galaxy Watch working exactly how I want a smartwatch to work.<\/p>\n