Samsung has seemingly halted the distribution of its latest One UI 8 software update for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The rollout, which began earlier this month, appears to have been paused following a flood of user complaints about critical bugs and performance issues.
Widespread User Reports of Critical Bugs
Across Samsung's official community forums and popular platforms like Reddit, numerous owners of the Galaxy Watch 4 series have documented serious problems after installing the One UI 8 update. The most commonly reported issue is rapid battery drain, significantly reducing the device's usable time on a single charge.
Beyond battery woes, users are facing a host of other malfunctions. Many have reported touch unresponsiveness, making the watch difficult to navigate. Key health and fitness sensors have also stopped working correctly for some, with the watch failing to detect when it is on the wrist. This sensor failure has a cascading effect, forcing the device to lock repeatedly if a password is set, thereby hindering access to notifications and features like Google Wallet.
Other grievances include a broken Always on Display (AOD) function and general system lag. One frustrated Reddit user stated, "Extremely laggy on all 3 of my watches. Tons of wasted space. Most tiles are useless to me now. Battery drain. Sleep tracking totally worthless." Another criticized the new alarm interface, saying, "Why does each alarm require a separate bubble on the watch when the previous UI had all the alarms on one screen."
Update Likely Paused, Official Word Awaited
The sudden cessation of the update's availability for many users, as noted in a report by Android Headlines, strongly suggests Samsung has proactively paused the rollout. This is a standard practice for tech companies when a major software update introduces widespread instability. The pause allows the company's engineers to diagnose the problems and prepare a fixed version. However, Samsung has not yet issued an official statement confirming the halt or detailing a timeline for a resolution.
This update is particularly significant as it is expected to be the last major software upgrade for the nearly four-year-old Galaxy Watch 4 series. The Watch 4 and the more premium Watch 4 Classic, known for its useful rotating bezel, are powered by Samsung's Exynos W920 chipset and feature 1.5GB of RAM with 16GB of storage. Both models boast robust build quality with IP68 water resistance and MIL-STD-810G durability ratings.
For now, users who have not yet received the One UI 8 update prompt are advised to wait. Those already experiencing issues may have to rely on a future corrective patch from Samsung to restore their smartwatches to full functionality.
