Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jul 19
Samsung Galaxy Watch Sideloads 3 Unofficial Apps for Added Features
Updated
Updated · How-To Geek · Jul 19

Samsung Galaxy Watch Sideloads 3 Unofficial Apps for Added Features

3 articles · Updated · How-To Geek · Jul 19

Summary

  • Three sideloaded apps stood out on Samsung Galaxy Watch: Wear Button Remapper, Wearable Widgets and Google Clock, each adding functions not officially offered on the watch.
  • Wireless debugging and a phone-side installer such as Bugjaeger or GeminiMan WearOS Manager let users push APK files to the watch, avoiding the impracticality of downloading them on the small screen.
  • Wear Button Remapper can override Samsung’s fixed Home-button Wallet shortcut, while Wearable Widgets brings phone widgets to the watch after sideloading both watch and phone apps.
  • Google Clock installs cleanly and adds alarms, stopwatch, timer and working widgets, but alarm syncing with a Pixel phone still does not work.
  • Facebook Messenger can run if users install a v7a 360-480 DPI APK, though the article says the interface scales poorly and is usable only in a pinch.

Insights

With Samsung set to block sideloading, is this the end of true customization for Galaxy Watch users?
Will Samsung's move to a closed ecosystem push power users toward more open smartwatch alternatives?