Whether watching YouTube on a smartwatch is worthwhile is a matter of debate. However, it is possible to watch YouTube on your Galaxy Watch—perhaps to check your YouTube feed on the go without pulling out your phone or watching videos when your phone isn’t around. Samsung or Google don’t preload the YouTube app on smartwatches, but we have found enough workarounds. Here’s how to watch YouTube videos on your Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Table of Contents
Pre-Requisites
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, 5, or 6 (if you have an older TizenOS model, jump to the last section).
- The Watch needs to be connected to your phone over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
- You’ll need to sign in with your Google account on the Watch.
Method 1: Use Samsung Internet to Watch YouTube on Galaxy Watch
The support for Samsung Internet browser is available on your Galaxy Watch and it supports video playback by default. So you can browse YouTube and other video-streaming websites. Here’s how to do it:
1. Ensure your Galaxy Watch is unlocked and awake. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app drawer.
2. Open Google Play Store. Tap the Search icon at the top.
3. Search for Samsung Internet and tap on Install when it appears in the results.
Alternatively, open the Samsung Internet in Play Store on the connected phone. Tap the down arrow next to Install button, select the Galaxy Watch, and tap Install.
4. After it installs, open the Samsung Internet browser and tap the YouTube shortcut (first thing on the main screen).
If the shortcut doesn’t appear, use the Search icon at the top to look for and open YouTube from the results.
After that, you can watch YouTube videos on your Samsung Galaxy Watch. That means, you can catch up with all the videos, including shorts, vlogs, podcasts, movies, music videos, and more.
For better navigation, turn on Zoom mode – swipe up from the bottom edge of the Watch to reveal Settings and turn on the toggle next to Zoom mode. That will let you zoom in and out to interact with the options that appear in the screen area.
Pros
- It’s the easiest way to access YouTube on any Android smartwatch.
- You don’t have to sideload any third-party apps.
Cons
- It takes multiple taps to open YouTube inside the Browser.
- Unintuitive navigation and slow load times.
Method 2: Sideload the YouTube App on Your Galaxy Watch
While YouTube isn’t officially available on Galaxy Watch or WearOS, you can use third-party tools to install it. In the past, Easy Fire Tools was the preferred method for sideloading apps on Galaxy Watch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with the latest OneUI 5 update and throws the ‘No debugging possible’ error when trying to pair.
Therefore, we’ll turn to a powerful alternative – GeminiMan WearOS Manager – to install YouTube on the smartwatch.
It’s important to note – videos will play only when connected to Bluetooth earphones. Here’s how to sideload the YouTube app on your Galaxy Watch:
1. Download the YouTube APK from APKMirror on the connected phone.
2. Install GeminiMan WearOS Manager from Google Play Store on your phone and Galaxy Watch. Ensure both devices are on the same WiFi network.
3. On your Galaxy Watch, enable Developer Options – head to Settings, choose About Watch, and tap Software Information.
4. After that, tap the Software version seven times until you get a prompt – Developer mode turned on.
5. Return to the Settings main screen, scroll to the bottom, and tap Developer Options. If you do not find Developer Options, restart your watch.
6. Enable the toggle for ADB Debugging.
7. Confirm the prompt for ADB debugging. Next, scroll down and tap Wireless Debugging.
8. Turn it on. Tap Allow a prompt appears.
9. You’ll get the option to Pair a New Device. Tap it and note the IP address & port, and Wi-Fi pairing code.
In the string 192.168.1.45:45733 that appears in the screenshot below, 192.168.1.45 is the IP address, and “45733” (separated by a colon) is the port number.
10. Open the GeminiMan app on your phone, switch to the WearOS Manager tab, and tap Wireless Debugging.
11. Enter the IP Port and Pairing code from your Galaxy Watch and tap Pair the Device.
12. Next, ensure the ADB Connection Details box has the same IP address and port shown in your Watch’s Wireless Debugging screen under Developer Options when you open Settings.
13. Fill in the port number if empty, tap Connect, and then Proceed to confirm.
14. The GeminiMan WearOS Manager app will appear briefly on your watch to establish the connection.
15. After connecting the watch, tap Install APK File and select the downloaded YouTube APK file.
16. Wait for the installation to complete. You can now turn off Wireless Debugging or Developer Options.
Open the app drawer and launch the YouTube app to watch videos on your Samsung Galaxy Watch.
You can check your YouTube notifications, search for new videos, and browse the Explore and Subscription sections. Additionally, you can enable captions and cast the video onto your Android TV or Chromecast directly from your wrist.
Unfortunately, the videos won’t play in full-screen, and you cannot use the watch’s internal speaker for playback.
Pros
- Brings the YouTube mobile app experience to your watch, albeit on a smaller screen.
- You are automatically signed in (if your Google account is logged onto the watch).
- Cast videos onto your Android TV or other Chromecast devices.
- Supports background playback with YouTube Premium.
Cons
- It works only when wireless earphones are connected.
- Videos won’t play in full-screen mode.
- Tedious installation process.
- The app may crash at times.
Method 3: Sideload the NewPipe App on Watch
Another option is to install NewPipe, a third-party YouTube client for Android. Unlike the YouTube app, NewPipe doesn’t require headphones and can play audio directly through the watch’s built-in speakers.
Additionally, it offers some cool extra features like gesture controls and the ability to change the video pitch and tempo. You also won’t encounter any ads or annoyances. Follow the steps below:
1. Download the NewPipe APK on your Android phone.
2. Follow the steps in Method 2 to connect your Galaxy Watch to the phone through ADB. Here’s a quick rundown of the process:
- Install GeminiMan WearOS Manager on both the phone and the watch.
- Enable Developer Options, followed by ADB Debugging and Wireless Debugging.
- In the Wireless Debugging section, tap Pair a New Device and note the numbers.
- Open the GeminiMan app on your phone and tap Wireless Debugging under WearOS Manager.
- Enter the IP Port number and Pairing code you noted, and tap Pair the Device.
- Lastly, enter the port number (shown on the Wireless Debugging main page) under ADB Connection Details and hit Connect.
3. Once connected, tap Install APK and choose the downloaded NewPipe APK file.
4. Wait for the installation to finish.
Launch NewPipe from the app drawer to start watching videos on your Galaxy Watch. The main screen will welcome you with the Trending, What’s New, Subscriptions, and Bookmarks sections.
Even though you won’t explicitly see the Search option, you can bring it up by tapping the top right corner.
During playback, swipe up or down on the right to adjust the volume, and swipe on the left side of the screen to control brightness levels.
There are no ads, and videos can play in the background without a YouTube Premium subscription. To play a video in the background, scroll down on the playback screen and tap the Background option. Minimize the NewPipe app, and the video will keep playing.
Pros
- Supports full-screen playback with volume and brightness gesture controls.
- Plays YouTube videos without any advertisements.
- Supports background playback without YouTube Premium.
Cons
- Tedious installation process.
Watching YouTube on the Older Galaxy Watch 3 and Active 2
The older Galaxy Watch 3 and Active 2, both running TizenOS, still hold up quite well. While they cannot match the open nature and extensive third-party app library of WearOS models, you can still watch YouTube using these workarounds:
- Using Samsung Internet: Both smartwatches come preloaded with the Samsung Internet browser. Open it from the app drawer and search for YouTube to browse through your favorite videos on the platform.
- Third-Party Apps: Open the Galaxy Store on your Samsung Galaxy Watch and install a third-party YouTube player app, such as TubePlayer and PlayTube. Keep in mind that these apps are often removed from the store. If that happens, search for YouTube or Tube to find alternatives on the Galaxy App Store.
If you’re unsure of your Galaxy Watch model, check our guide to find what Galaxy Watch you have.
Enjoy YouTube on Your Wrist!
You can watch YouTube videos on your Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, 5, or 6 using the Samsung Internet browser or choose to sideload the YouTube or NewPipe app. We’d recommend the NewPipe app since it is lightweight and packs nifty features.
The only flipside of watching YouTube on Galaxy Watch is that it drains battery very quickly. While you may want to catch up with the latest uploads from your favorite YouTubers, watching videos on a Galaxy Watch is cumbersome.
