Samsung Galaxy Watch: 5 Features That Will Change The Way You Use Your Smartwatch

© AronX/Shutterstock Galaxy Watch5 on the wrist

Now that smartwatches have overcome the skepticism that surrounded them when they hit the market, it goes without saying that they can be very useful and practical accessories. In some cases, these are more than just accessories, they are completely self-contained devices that can surf the Internet, play music, and more without the need for a pair of smartphones.

So it's no surprise that the best smartwatches from big companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung have many useful uses, including checking and replying to text messages, measuring heart rate, weather alerts, and controlling in-app podcast or music playback. . However, there may be other features that you don't know about, but that can enhance the usefulness of your device. With Samsung's fifth-generation lineup of wearables at the time of writing, the Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro can do more than ever before.

Automatic workout tracking

© Maridav/Shutterstock A triathlete looking at her watch

For many people, one of the main ways to use their smartwatches is through exercise and workouts. Obviously, Samsung understood this when creating its current line of devices, especially with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the Pro model is significantly more expensive than a standard watch, but has a solid titanium case. This makes it much more durable than the standard aluminum Galaxy Watch5, and combined with the sapphire crystal watch face, you can handle most situations with confidence without fear for the safety of your smartwatch.

When you're in the exercise zone, you might even forget you're wearing a watch, and it's frustrating when you finish your workout and realize you forgot to measure it with your watch. With Galaxy Watch's automatic exercise tracking feature, you can start your routine worry-free. Depending on your speed range and other metrics, your Galaxy Watch may track your activities, such as running or swimming, without warning. While it can't automatically detect more obscure workout types, you can still manually track over 90 different exercise types, including ski jumping and yoga.

Combined with a rugged body and features such as a bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor that can measure body fat, skeletal muscle, and more, automatic exercise tracking makes the Samsung Galaxy Watch a high-end fitness tracker. You can even pair your device with Peloton for better tracking and more accurate heart rate measurement.

mode change

© Samsung Galaxy Watch Do Not Disturb Mode

A common feature of many devices you're probably familiar with, which the Samsung Galaxy Watch also offers, is Do Not Disturb mode, which turns off all notifications except the alarm. But sometimes there are situations where you want to turn off some distractions, like the Galaxy Watch's wake gesture, but not others. The Galaxy Watch lets you customize which parts of your device are turned off, allowing you to choose between four different focus modes, similar to the different focus modes offered by Apple. You can quickly switch between modes right from the quick settings

In addition to Do Not Disturb mode, you can put your Galaxy Watch into sleep mode, theater mode, and water block mode. Night mode will keep the alarm going by turning off all other notifications, just like Do Not Disturb mode, but it also turns off the always-on display and snooze feature so you don't accidentally disturb yourself or your partner. dial light. Theater mode will also do this so you don't accidentally turn on the clock in a dark theater, but it will also turn off an alarm you forgot to turn off. Water Lock mode will prevent water from interacting with your watch's touch controls when you shower or swim. It's also a great feature for washing dishes or walking in the rain. Similarly, you can use theater mode to avoid distractions in other situations, such as while driving.

sleep tracking

© Kudla / Shutterstock Bed Sleep Dark bedroom

If you're the type of person who turns off their smartwatch at night, the Galaxy Watch's sleep tracking feature can make all the difference. By turning on the watch when you fall asleep, your smartwatch can track a variety of metrics, including how long and how long you sleep, whether and how much you snore, how many calories you burn while you sleep, how long you sleep, and the different stages of your sleep cycle (awake, REM sleep, deep sleep, etc.), including blood oxygen levels.

Using this information, your smartwatch can help you identify possible sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition that you can identify and treat with the help of a professional. Plus, your watch can teach you how to sleep better at night with Samsung Health, giving you sleep reports, tips, checklists, meditation tips, and more — even giving you a sun-reluctant mole or a tormented shark rating. ". sleeping animals." "Just make sure you don't overdo it and don't get too hung up on tracking your sleep.

User settings

© Samsung Galaxy Watch Quick Access Toolbar

With the latest generation of Galaxy Watch and Wear OS, you can personalize your smartwatch more than ever before, letting you wear it the way you want to and maximizing its convenience and utility. Like the Samsung Galaxy phone, your watch has a quick settings panel that can be accessed by swiping down from the top of the watch face. These options include Do Not Disturb and Airplane mode. You can add, remove, and rearrange icons for the settings you want included in the Quick Access Toolbar so that the most important ones are always the easiest to access.

There are other accessibility settings on the Galaxy Watch that you can turn on and off, such as hearing enhancement, screen magnification, and high-contrast fonts. You can also reprogram the physical home and main watch buttons for your favorite functions, or replace Bixby with another smart assistant.

Make your watch a fashion accessory

© javi_indy/Shutterstock emoji face emoji emoji

Your Samsung Galaxy Watch should not only be a functional smart device that boosts your performance and tracks your workouts, but can also be a fashion accessory just like any traditional watch. You can show off your style by choosing the color of your watch case and pairing it with a variety of stylish straps, but your smartwatch also has digital features to help you personalize your look.

Your options are almost limitless when it comes to choosing a watch face. In addition to the default watch faces included with your first watch purchase, there are additional options that can be downloaded from the Galaxy Wearable app or the Galaxy Store. Or, to further personalize your device, you can select a custom photo from your camera roll and choose the part of the photo you want to use as your watch face. This means you can create whatever you want, take a screenshot and create your own watch face. If you select the Always On Display option on your Galaxy Watch, the screen won't turn off when not in use, so you can always see your favorite watch face.

Read next: Best smartwatches of 2022

20 Best Galaxy Watch 4 Battery Saving Tips & Tricks (50 Hours AOD!)