Galaxy Watch battery optimization coming with One UI Watch 8

Samsung is finally preparing to introduce Galaxy Watch battery optimization, a long-requested feature that may debut with the upcoming One UI Watch 8 update. According to strings of code found in an early build by Android Authority, the feature would stop charging once the battery hits a set percentage—likely 80%—and only resume when it drops to a lower threshold.

It’s a familiar idea for Android phone users, where Android 15 introduced battery health tools to cap charging and slow degradation.

If Samsung follows the same model, Galaxy Watch users will be able to set a hard limit on how much their device charges, which should reduce heat cycles and extend the battery’s long-term capacity. Currently, no Wear OS smartwatch offers this kind of control, not even Google’s own Pixel Watch.

Apple does something similar with Optimized Charging on the Apple Watch, but it’s algorithm-based rather than user-defined, and doesn’t give users the same level of manual control. The Galaxy Watch battery optimization approach could therefore be a step ahead, especially for users who leave their watches charging overnight or for long stretches of time.

Interestingly, Google is also rumored to be adding a similar adaptive charging feature to Wear OS 6. If true, Samsung’s decision to bring Galaxy Watch battery optimization to its own ecosystem first could give it a head start. One UI Watch 8 will skip version 7 entirely, and if this feature is any indication, Samsung may be planning more than just cosmetic changes in its next major wearable update.