What you need to know
- Samsung is reportedly rolling out its latest Wear OS security patch to U.S. users with a Galaxy Watch 8, Ultra, and Watch 7.
- The update is minimal, and separate reports claim it might only contain a series of security fixes to help the watches.
- Previously, Galaxy Watch owners reported severe battery drain issues brought on by Google Play Services, and it’s unclear if this has been fixed yet.
Samsung’s monthly run of security updates continues this week, as its smartwatches are reportedly getting their turn.
A report by SammyGuru provides the rundown, stating Samsung has started rolling out its latest Wear OS security patch to the Galaxy Watch 8, Ultra, and Watch 7. This patch, which, though it’s arriving in June, bears May 2026 fixes, has been spotted for the Galaxy Watch 8 with vAZE1 and vBZE1 for the Watch Ultra and Watch 7 in the U.S. The publication speculates Samsung is simply keeping its watches updated and refreshed, as the download is ~200MB.
It’s common for these updates to focus on major security fixes, and that’s exactly where SamMobile’s thinking goes. The post takes us back to May, which included a truckload of security fixes for Samsung’s devices. Many of those are heading to the aforementioned Galaxy Watches this week in the U.S., bolstering their defenses.
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Since this patch is seemingly all security-based, there’s a chance users are still missing a fix to a crucial battery issue.
Galaxy Watch gets spruced up
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)
Android Central’s Take
This issue is the biggest thing here. Battery drain problems force those affected to reach for their charges more often than they would like. We get these devices for their longevity so we’re not doing that. Hopefully, Samsung is aware and is working on a fix. Maybe we’re looking at one next month? Unpacked is coming up, after all.
There was a battery drain issue Galaxy Watch owners brought up in mid-April, which put the blame on an update the month prior. This issue wasn’t as restricted as some might’ve hoped (though it’s bad enough regardless). Reports cited battery drain problems across multiple Galaxy Watches, even down to the Watch 6 Classic. The Galaxy Watch 7 and 8 were involved, as well.
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After the March update, users said their watch’s battery dropped significantly quicker, and in-depth reviews show that Google Play Services was accountable. This background service was seen absorbing large amounts of battery power on devices not really doing much. Similar issues in the past required a patch from Samsung to fix, and it’s likely we still need one.
On a health note, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch achieved “Fainting Prediction” as part of its work to continue preventative features for users. In a collaboration with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in Korea, the Galaxy Watch 6 successfully predicted a fainting spell. Samsung said it could do this with 84.6% accuracy and within five minutes in advance.
