How long will the Galaxy Watch 5 be supported?
Best answer: The Galaxy Watch 5 will be supported through 2026, giving wearers a full four years of support. This includes software updates pertaining to both Watch OS (the watch currently comes with OS 3) and Samsung’s One UI Watch skin. Keep in mind that, as with any tech device, once the Watch 5 becomes a few generations old, some newer yet-to-be-announced features that might be available with newer models might not work on it. But there’s plenty of time to enjoy the Watch 5, all its core features and new, supported ones, and its security promise.
What to know about the Galaxy Watch 5 and future support
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Both the Galaxy Watch 5 and its sister device, the Watch 5 Pro, launched with Google’s Wear OS along with the Samsung One UI Watch skin overlay. When it comes to Galaxy Watch 5 support, upon launch, Samsung confirmed that the Watches would receive up to four years of software updates, bringing you all the way into 2026.
This is important not only to ensure you can get the most out of the premium smartwatch, which doesn’t come cheap. It also means you can have some peace of mind that it will be supported for critical security updates.
Already, on October 18, the Galaxy Watch 5 received its second security patch via an over-the-air update. Such over-the-air updates will continue for years, allowing you to easily enter the settings menu on the watch itself or in the Galaxy Wearable app and run the update as needed. Note that this four-year software update promise applies to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro as well.
A security update was delivered a month prior, exclusively for Verizon cellular customers. The first security update came at the end of August around launch, with a one-day patch that was 100MB in size but provided important improvements to stability and reliability.
Chances are you might be upgrading the Watch before the four-year period is up: this is likely about the duration that people keep smartwatches and fitness trackers before they become outdated anyway. However, knowing the security updates continue for years means that even if you decide to upgrade in two or three years, means you can still hand the Watch 5 down to a family member or friend, sell it online, or even trade it in for a higher value since it’s still being supported.
Samsung has been launching this four-year software update program with many of its latest devices, including the previous-generation Galaxy Watch 4 and 4 Classic.
This generous Galaxy Watch 5 support, and four-year support for other Galaxy devices including many of the latest phones as well, provide reassurance for customers that they won’t be left with devices that are deemed outdated just a few years after buying them.
As noted, when it comes to any tech device, while new features will likely be launched over the next four years for Galaxy Watch models to come, some of them might be exclusive to the newer devices if the Watch 5 can't support them. But by and large, the core software and, most important, security updates, will apply to the Watch 5 for a long time.
If you want to further protect The Galaxy Watch 5 from the outside as well as in, consider picking up one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro screen protectors to ensure you’ll be able to enjoy the smartwatch and keep it in pristine condition, for many years to come.
Enjoy it for years
Thanks for up to four years of software updates, you can rest assured that your Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 won’t be considered outdated any time soon. Keep track of sports and activities, health and wellness stats like sleep and heart rate, and more for years to come.
