Why Samsung Galaxy Watch Keeps Disconnecting and How to Fix It

Is your Samsung Galaxy Watch constantly disconnecting, leaving you frustrated and out of sync? It’s a common problem, and thankfully, there are several things you can try to get your watch back to reliably connected. This guide will walk you through a series of troubleshooting steps, from simple tweaks to more complex fixes, to help you when Galaxy Watch disconnects from your Galaxy or other Android smartphone.

Galaxy Watch Keeps Losing Connection? Here's How to Fix It

Table of Contents

Before You Begin

Before we dive into more complex troubleshooting, let’s cover some quick and easy checks that might solve Samsung Galaxy Watch disconnection issues. You might have already tried some of these, but it’s worth double-checking to rule out the simplest causes:

Bluetooth Basics: Ensure that Bluetooth is enabled on your phone. It sounds obvious, but it’s easily overlooked! Also, make sure your phone’s Bluetooth isn’t connected to too many other devices, which can sometimes interfere.
Proximity Check: Keep your phone relatively close to your Galaxy Watch, especially during troubleshooting. Bluetooth has a limited range, and a weak signal can cause disconnections. Range is around 10 meters (30 feet) so make sure phone and watch are closer than that.
Restart Both Devices: A classic tech fix! Restart both your Samsung Galaxy Watch and your connected smartphone. This can often resolve minor software glitches that might be causing the disconnections.
Battery Levels: Low battery levels on either your watch or your phone can sometimes lead to connectivity issues. Make sure both devices have sufficient charge.
Check for Interference: Other electronic devices, Wi-Fi signals, and even physical obstacles can sometimes interfere with Bluetooth connections. Try moving away from potential sources of interference.
Reconnect in the App: In the Galaxy Wearable app, try disconnecting your watch and then reconnecting it. This can sometimes refresh the connection and resolve minor syncing issues.
Airplane Mode: Disable airplane mode on both devices.

If none of these quick fixes solve Galaxy Watch disconnection issues, don’t worry! We’ll move on to more in-depth troubleshooting steps in the following sections.

1. Check for Updates

Outdated software on either your Galaxy Watch or your connected smartphone can be a major culprit behind connectivity issues. Updates often include bug fixes, performance improvements, and compatibility enhancements that can resolve disconnections. It’s crucial to keep both devices running the latest software versions.

Updating the Galaxy Wearable App:

Open the Galaxy Store (Samsung) or Google Play Store (Android).
Search for Galaxy Wearable.
If an update is available, you’ll see an Update button. Tap it to update the app to the latest version.

Updating Your Galaxy Watch:

On your phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app.
Tap on Watch settings.
Select Watch software update.
Tap Download and install.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Your watch will likely restart during the update process. Make sure it’s placed on its charger during the update to prevent any power issues. Do not use your watch during the update.

Note: Check for any software updates on your smartphone as well and update it to the latest version.

By ensuring both your watch and phone are running the latest software, you’ll minimize the chances of software-related disconnections. If the issue persists after updating, move on to the next troubleshooting steps.

2. Disconnecting and Reconnecting Your Galaxy Watch

Sometimes, a simple refresh of the connection between your phone and your Galaxy Watch can resolve intermittent disconnections. We have already covered different ways to unpair or disconnect Samsung Galaxy Watch from a phone.

The Galaxy Wearable app provides a convenient way to disconnect and reconnect your watch:

Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone.
Tap on the Circle button with the squares and circles Icon.
Tap the Disconnect icon next to your watch.
Close the app and also remove it from recent apps.
Open the app again, tap on your watch, and tap the connect option.

This process essentially resets the software connection between your phone and watch. It’s a quick and easy troubleshooting step that can often resolve minor connectivity glitches. If the disconnections continue after trying this, proceed to the next set of troubleshooting steps.

3. Troubleshooting the Galaxy Wearable App

The Galaxy Wearable app is essential for managing your Galaxy Watch and maintaining a stable connection. Issues with the app itself can often lead to disconnections. Here’s how to troubleshoot the app:

Force Stop the App

Sometimes, the Galaxy Wearable app might encounter a glitch that disrupts its connection with your watch. Force-stopping the app can often resolve these temporary hiccups.

Open your phone’s Settings app.
Tap on Apps.
Find and select Galaxy Wearable from the list of apps.
Tap on Force Stop. Confirm the action.

Clear App Cache

Clearing the app’s cache can sometimes resolve issues related to corrupted temporary files. This will not delete your watch data or settings, but it might require you to re-grant some permissions.

Open your phone’s Settings app.
Tap on Apps.
Find and select Galaxy Wearable from the list of apps.
Tap on Storage.
Tap on Clear cache.

Reinstall the App

If force-stopping and clearing the cache don’t resolve the issue, reinstalling the Galaxy Wearable app can be a more drastic but sometimes necessary step.

After reinstalling, you’ll need to reconnect your Galaxy Watch to the app. Follow the on-screen instructions in the app to pair your watch again.

If you continue to experience disconnections after trying these steps, move on to the next section for further troubleshooting.

4. Background Restrictions and Battery Optimization

One common cause of persistent disconnections is aggressive battery optimization settings on your phone. These settings might be preventing the Galaxy Wearable app and related services from running consistently in the background, leading to connection drops.

Also Read:

Check Battery Optimization Settings: The exact steps may vary depending on your phone’s manufacturer and Android version, but generally, you can find these settings in Settings > Apps > Galaxy Wearable > Battery. Look for an option named Unrestricted. Select that option.

This can help maintain better connectivity between the watch and your smartphone.

5. Camera-Related Disconnections

Some users have reported that opening the camera app (either the system app or a third-party app) causes their Galaxy Watch to disconnect. This is due to battery optimization on the camera app is not unrestricted making the watch disconnect when being opened. The following steps can stop this issue:

Open Settings and go to Apps.
Search for the Camera app and tap on Battery.
Make sure you have selected the Unrestricted option.

This might seem counterintuitive, but it has helped some users resolve camera-related disconnections.

6. Resetting Bluetooth Settings

Sometimes, the Bluetooth settings on your phone can become corrupted or experience glitches, leading to persistent disconnections with your Galaxy Watch. Resetting your Bluetooth settings can provide a fresh start and resolve these underlying issues.

Note: This will unpair all your Bluetooth devices, so you’ll need to re-pair them afterward.

Open your phone’s Settings app.
Look for the General management option.
Tap on Reset.
Select Reset Wifi and Bluetooth settings.
Confirm the reset.

This method resets all your network settings, including Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth.

7. Factory Resetting Your Galaxy Watch

If all else fails, and your Galaxy Watch stubbornly refuses to stay connected, a factory reset might be your last resort. This will erase all data and settings on your watch, returning it to its original state.

Note: Be sure to back up any important data (if possible) before performing a factory reset, as it cannot be recovered.

How to Factory Reset Your Galaxy Watch

There are a couple of ways to factory reset your Galaxy Watch:

1. Through the Watch Settings:

This is the preferred method if your watch is still somewhat functional.

On your watch, navigate to Settings.
Scroll down and tap on General.
Tap on Reset.
Confirm the reset.

2. Through the Galaxy Wearable App:

If your watch is completely unresponsive or you can’t access the settings menu, you might be able to reset it through the Galaxy Wearable app.

Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone.
Go to Watch Settings.
Tap on General.
Look for a Reset option.
Confirm the reset.

Once the reset is complete, your Galaxy Watch will be like new. You’ll need to set it up again from scratch, pairing it with your phone and reinstalling any apps you want to use.

And that’s it, folks! Hopefully, one of these solutions has helped you fix your Galaxy Watch disconnection issue. Getting your watch back to a stable connection should mean you’re back to enjoying all its features without interruption. Stay tuned for more fixes like this in the future.