Your Galaxy Watch8 (44mm) is supposed to mirror your notifications, steps, and health data the moment you glance at your wrist, so when the watch face stops showing new messages or your activity totals freeze, it feels like the watch and phone have quietly stopped talking to each other. The good news is that the Watch8 syncs automatically over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi through the Galaxy Wearable app, which means a dropped sync is almost always a connection problem you can fix yourself. Work through the checks below in order, starting with the quickest and safest, and save the reset for the very end.
One thing to settle first, because it explains a surprising number of "suddenly stopped syncing" cases. The Galaxy Watch8 runs Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 Watch, and it leans on Google Play services, so it only pairs with an Android phone. There is no standalone sync toggle to flip on or off; syncing simply happens whenever the watch and phone hold a healthy connection.
Make sure your phone is actually an Android device
The Galaxy Watch8 (44mm) is Android-only. Because it runs Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 Watch and relies on Google Play services, it must be paired with an Android phone running Android 11.0 or higher with at least 1.5 GB of RAM.
It does not work with an iPhone at all. If you recently switched to an iPhone, that incompatibility is exactly why your watch stopped syncing, and no amount of troubleshooting on the phone side will restore it. To keep using the Watch8, you will need to pair it back to a compatible Android phone.
Check power, Airplane mode, Bluetooth, and distance
A connection cannot hold if either device is starved for power or has its radios switched off. Confirm both the watch and the phone are charged and not nearly empty before you dig any deeper. Then turn off power saving on both the watch and the phone, since aggressive power-saving behavior can block the background syncing your Watch8 depends on.
Next, rule out Airplane mode, because when Airplane mode is on, Bluetooth turns off and syncing stops. Confirm the phone's Bluetooth is actually on; if it was off, switching it back on alone may restore the sync. Finally, mind the distance, because the Bluetooth link weakens fast with range and interference. Keep the watch and phone within about 30 feet of each other, knowing that walls or nearby electronics can shrink that range considerably.
- 1.On the phone, go to Settings > Connections > Airplane mode and make sure it is turned off.
- 2.On the watch, confirm Airplane mode is off there too.
- 3.Turn off power saving on both devices.
- 4.On the phone, go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and make sure the switch is turned on.
- 5.Bring the watch and phone close together, within about 30 feet.
Read the connection status inside Galaxy Wearable
The Galaxy Wearable app tells you exactly where the connection stands, which saves you from guessing. Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone and look at what it shows.
If it shows "Start", the devices are no longer paired, and you will need to re-pair them (covered later in this guide). If it shows "Disconnected" or "Remotely connected", the pairing still exists but the live link has dropped; re-enable Bluetooth on both devices to restore the connection and bring syncing back.
Force restart a frozen or stubborn watch
Sometimes the watch software hangs and the watch simply will not reconnect, no matter how close it sits to the phone. A force restart clears that frozen state without erasing anything.
Press and hold the Home button and the Back button at the same time for at least seven seconds, until the screen turns black and the Samsung logo appears, then release both buttons. The Home button may also be labelled as the Power button. Restarting the phone afterward can also help clear a one-off glitch on the phone side.
Update the Galaxy Wearable companion app
The Galaxy Wearable app is the bridge that carries your data between watch and phone, and an out-of-date version is a common, easy-to-miss cause of a broken connection. Keeping it current often restores syncing on its own.
- 1.Open the Play Store on your phone.
- 2.Search for "Galaxy Wearable".
- 3.Tap Update to install the latest version of the app.
Install the latest watch software
Outdated watch software can also break the link, so installing the newest update is worth doing before you consider anything drastic. Make sure the watch is charged to at least 30% before you start, so the update does not stall partway through.
You can update from either device. On the watch, go to Settings > General > Watch software update (you can turn on Auto update so future updates install overnight). From the phone, go to Galaxy Wearable > Watch settings > Watch software update > Download and install.
Confirm Galaxy Wearable has the permissions it needs
If the companion app has been denied permissions it needs, content can stop flowing between the watch and phone even when the Bluetooth link looks healthy. It is worth confirming the app has everything it is asking for.
On the phone, open your Settings, find Galaxy Wearable in the list of apps, and review its permissions, allowing the ones it requests. With permissions restored, the data that had stopped syncing can move freely again.
Unpair and re-pair the watch
When the connection is genuinely corrupted, the cleanest fix short of a reset is to remove the pairing and set it up fresh. This rebuilds the link from scratch without wiping the watch.
- 1.On the phone, go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth.
- 2.Tap the Settings icon next to your watch, then tap Unpair.
- 3.Open the Galaxy Wearable app and tap Start.
- 4.Select your watch and follow the on-screen prompts, tapping Confirm on both the phone and the watch.
When nothing else works, reset and contact support
A factory reset is the last resort because it erases the watch and returns it to its out-of-the-box state, so back up your data first. Once you have a backup, choose the official reset path.
The preferred method is from the phone, where you open Galaxy Wearable > Watch settings > General > Reset, then confirm. You can also reset on the watch itself at Settings > General > Reset, then confirm; note that if you reset from the watch, some watch data may still remain saved on your phone, so also unpair the watch in the phone's Bluetooth settings to clear it out. After resetting, set the watch up again through the Galaxy Wearable app, and if the syncing problem still continues, contact Samsung Support or a Samsung Service Center for hardware or software help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Galaxy Watch8 (44mm) work with an iPhone?
No. The Galaxy Watch8 runs Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 Watch and relies on Google Play services, so it requires an Android phone running Android 11.0 or higher with at least 1.5 GB of RAM, and it is not compatible with iPhone or iOS.
Is there a sync button I need to turn on?
No. There is no standalone sync on/off toggle on the Watch8. Syncing happens automatically over the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection managed by the Galaxy Wearable app, so fixing a sync problem means restoring that connection rather than flipping a switch.
How close does my watch need to be to my phone to sync?
Keep the watch and phone within about 30 feet of each other for a reliable Bluetooth connection. That range can shrink when there are obstacles such as walls or electrical equipment between the two devices.
How do I force restart the Galaxy Watch8 if it freezes?
Press and hold the Home button and the Back button at the same time for at least seven seconds, until the screen turns black and the Samsung logo appears, then release both buttons. The Home button may also be labelled as the Power button.
Will a factory reset delete my data?
Yes, a factory reset returns the watch to its original state, so back up your data first. The preferred path is Galaxy Wearable > Watch settings > General > Reset; if you reset from the watch itself at Settings > General > Reset, some watch data may still remain saved on your phone, so unpair the watch in your phone's Bluetooth settings as well.
