One UI 8 Watch update expected soon for Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro users

What you need to know

• One UI 8 Watch debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series, and has since arrived for the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 7 lineups.
• The Galaxy Watch 5 series is next in line, as the One UI 8 Watch beta program ended Dec. 1 for those smartwatches.
• One UI 8 Watch should roll out publicly for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro soon.

Wear OS 6 brought a host of new features and improved efficiency to smartwatches this summer, but some older Samsung watches are still waiting for the update. One UI 8 Watch debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series, and has since arrived for the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 6. Now, it looks like One UI 8 Watch will make its way to even older Samsung Galaxy Watch models in the coming days, according to a report from SamMobile.

Samsung opened a beta program in the U.S. and Korea for the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro a few months ago for One UI 8 Watch testing. That beta program just concluded as of Dec. 1, according to posts on Samsung's community forums. This signifies the Wear OS 6-based update is extremely close to launching for the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

For example, Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic owners started getting the One UI 8 Watch update only a few hours after the beta program ended, as SamMobile's report notes. Usually, the updates roll out on a regional basis, with different release schedules for various models. One UI 8 Watch beta testers will automatically receive an update that upgrades their smartwatch to the public release channel.

If Samsung's usual release pattern holds, Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro users can expect the stable One UI 8 Watch update to roll out in the coming days or weeks, now that the beta program has concluded.

One UI 8 Watch is a major update that brings all of Google's Wear OS 6 improvements paired with Samsung exclusive. Bedtime Guidance, Antioxidant Index, and the Now Bar are a few of the new feature highlights. Samsung's Running Coach, an AI-powered running analysis feature that first became available on newer watches, is also coming to older models.

When the update begins rolling out for your watch model, you can update it by navigating to Watch settings > Watch software update > Download and install.