Samsung smart watch will not connect to a phone

If your watch will not pair to a phone, or if it randomly disconnects, restart your watch. You should also make sure the Galaxy wearable app is up to date, but it may be necessary to reset the app and unpair your watch.
Galaxy Wearable App on phone displaying the Pick your device screen with two Galaxy watches
Galaxy Wearable App on phone displaying the Pick your device screen with two Galaxy watches

Samsung smart watch will not connect to a phone

Checkpoint

Reboot your Samsung smart watch

Note
Available features, menu options, and settings may vary by the watch and software version.
1
Press and hold the Power key until "Rebooting..." displays.

To force a reboot on your watch, press and hold the Home key (Power key) and Back key at the same time until "Rebooting..." displays. Do not select Power off on the screen or Restart when it appears.

The length of time you need to hold down the buttons varies by device. On some watch models, it may take up to 30 seconds for "Rebooting..." to appear.

2
Release the Power key, and wait for the watch to reboot.

When the Rebooting message appears, release the keys you were holding down. The watch screen will go dark, and then the watch will reboot.

If the watch is connected to your phone, the devices will temporarily disconnect during the reboot.

3
Check for software updates.
If you're rebooting your watch to fix a problem, be sure to check for software updates on your watch and the Galaxy Wearable app, including device plugins, once the reboot is complete.
4
Request service if the watch is damaged.
If the watch cannot restart due to physical damage, like a stuck button, please visit the Service Center to request service.
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Turn on Bluetooth

Note
For the Galaxy Fit, make sure the watch is powered on since Bluetooth cannot be disabled.
1
Navigate to Settings.

There are a few different ways to navigate to the Settings menu, depending on what watch model you have:

  • Wear OS Models: From the watch's Home screen, swipe up to access the Apps screen. Swipe to and open Settings.
  • Tizen models: Press the Home key (Power key), and then navigate to and tap Settings.
  • All models: Swipe down from the top of the watch's screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Settings icon to open up Settings.
2
Turn on Bluetooth.

Swipe to and tap Connections, tap Bluetooth, and then tap the Bluetooth switch to turn it on.

  • When connecting to another Bluetooth device, ensure that your watch and the other device are within the Bluetooth connection range (about 30 feet).
  • The distance may vary depending on the environment and if there are obstacles, such as walls or electrical equipment, between the devices.
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Allow Google Play service permissions

1
Open Apps settings.
On your phone, navigate to and open Settings, and then tap Apps.
2
Open your App permissions.

Swipe to and tap Google Play services, and then tap Permissions.

Permissions highlighted under Google Play services

3
Allow all permissions.

Swipe to the Not allowed list, and then allow the permissions. Continue to allow the permissions until "No permissions denied" appears under the Not allowed list.

You can check which permissions have been enabled under the Allowed list at the top.

4
Try reconnecting your Galaxy Watch4, Watch5, or Watch6.
After allowing all permissions to Google Play services, you can try reconnecting your watch to your phone. If the issue persists, please repeat the above steps.
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Unpair your Samsung smart watch from the phone

1
Navigate to Settings on the phone.
Using the connected phone, swipe up or down on the Home screen to access the Apps screen, and then tap Settings. You can also swipe down the Notification panel from the top of the screen, and then tap the Settings icon.
2
Navigate to Bluetooth.
Using the Search bar at the top of Settings, search for and select Bluetooth. You can also tap Connections > Bluetooth.
3
Unpair the watch from your phone.
Tap the Settings icon next to the watch you're trying to pair to, and then tap Unpair. Now, try to pair the watch to the phone again using the Galaxy Wearable app.
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Reset your Samsung smart watch

Note
Before you perform a reset, make sure you back up the data on your watch using the Galaxy Wearable app. Samsung is not responsible for any lost data.
1
Unpair the watch from your phone.
Navigate to and open Settings on your phone, then tap Connections, and then tap Bluetooth. From the "Paired devices" list, tap the Settings icon next to your watch's name, and then tap Unpair.
2
Navigate to Settings on your watch.

From the watch's Home screen, navigate to and open Settings. Alternatively, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel, and then tap the Settings icon.

Settings cannot be accessed on the Galaxy Fit. Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone instead.

3
Reset your watch.

Swipe to and tap General, then tap Reset, and then tap Reset again to confirm.

  • For the Gear Fit2 Pro, tap Gear info, and then tap Reset Gear.
  • For a Galaxy Fit, swipe to and tap About band. Tap Reset band, and then tap Reset to confirm.

Reset option on a Galaxy smart watch

4
Reconnect your watch.

Once you reset your watch, you will need to reconnect it to the Galaxy Wearable app. After the connection is complete, you can check for software updates.

If you have an LTE watch that was activated with a QR code, a new one will be required to reactivate service for the watch. Please contact your carrier to obtain a new QR code.

5
Request service.
If resetting your watch doesn't fix the issues, service is required. Visit the Support Center to request service.
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Update the Galaxy Wearable app

Important
Available features, menu options, and settings will vary by the watch and software version.Available features, menu options, and settings will vary by the watch and software version.
1
Find the Galaxy Wearable app in the Play Store.
From your phone, navigate to and tap the Play Store app. Then, using the search bar at the top, search for Galaxy Wearable and tap the correct result.
2
Update the app to the latest version.
Tap UPDATE to install the latest version. If OPEN displayed instead of UPDATE, you have the latest version.
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