The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a popular smartwatch that runs on Tizen OS. It comes with many great features for notifications, activity tracking, payments and more. One common question many Galaxy Watch owners have is whether they can send and receive WhatsApp messages directly from their watch.
The short answer is yes, you can send and receive WhatsApp messages on a Samsung Galaxy Watch. However, it does require some setup and third-party apps to enable WhatsApp messaging on the Galaxy Watch.
In this detailed guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using WhatsApp on your Samsung Galaxy Watch.
How WhatsApp Works on Galaxy Watch
Unlike Apple Watch which has a dedicated WhatsApp app, there is no official WhatsApp app for Tizen OS on Samsung watches.
Instead, you need to use third-party apps like Wristbuddy or Unified Remote which act as a bridge between your phone and watch. These apps allow you to view, reply to, and send WhatsApp messages from your Galaxy Watch by mirroring the notifications from your Android phone.
Here’s an overview of how WhatsApp messaging works on Galaxy Watch:
- Install the Wristbuddy or Unified Remote companion app on both your Samsung Galaxy Watch and Android phone
- Link the watch app to your phone’s WhatsApp
- View and quick reply to WhatsApp notifications on your Galaxy Watch
- Use preset quick reply messages or voice dictation to respond
- See your full WhatsApp message history on the watch app
- Send new WhatsApp messages to contacts directly from the watch
While you won’t get the full native app experience, this system does allow you to conveniently chat on WhatsApp without taking your phone out.
Requirements
To use WhatsApp on your Samsung Galaxy Watch, you need:
- A Samsung Galaxy Watch – supported models include Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Watch Active2, Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Watch4
- Android Phone with WhatsApp installed
- Your phone & watch need to be connected to each other
- The Wristbuddy or Unified Remote companion apps installed on both devices
- Internet connection on both devices
- WhatsApp account logged in on your phone
As long as your watch is connected to your Android phone, you’ll be able to use WhatsApp messaging on the watch via the companion apps.
How to Setup WhatsApp on Samsung Galaxy Watch
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to setup WhatsApp messaging on your Samsung Galaxy Watch:
1. Install Companion App on Phone & Watch
First, you need to install the companion app on both your Android phone and Galaxy Watch. You can use either Wristbuddy or Unified Remote for this.
- For Wristbuddy, install the Wristbuddy app on your phone from the Google Play Store. Then install the Wristbuddy app on your Galaxy Watch from the Galaxy Store.
- For Unified Remote, install the Unified Remote app on your phone from the Play Store. Then install the Unified Remote app on your watch from the Galaxy Store.
Make sure you are installing the companion app with the same name on both devices.
2. Complete App Setup Process
Once installed on both devices, open the companion app on your phone first. You’ll need to go through some permissions and setup steps:
- Allow the app notification access
- Grant permission to display over other apps
- Enable accessibility services
- Tap on WhatsApp and enable notifications
Follow the on-screen instructions carefully during the setup. This allows the app to read WhatsApp notifications.
Next, open the companion app on your Galaxy Watch. It will now automatically connect to your phone app and mirror notifications.
3. Link WhatsApp Account on Watch
After completing the setup, you’ll now need to link your WhatsApp account:
- On the watch app, go to WhatsApp settings > Tap Link Account
- Open WhatsApp on your phone > Tap the 3-dot menu > WhatsApp Web > Link a Device
- On your phone, scan the QR code displayed on your Galaxy Watch app
This will link your WhatsApp account across the devices. It may take a few minutes to fully sync your messages.
4. Customize Watch App Settings
You can customize a few settings in the watch app:
- Enable/disable notifications
- Customize quick reply messages
- Change notification vibration and sounds
- Prioritize important contacts
Adjust these to suit your messaging needs and preferences.
And that’s it! WhatsApp on your Samsung Galaxy Watch is now ready to use.
How to Use WhatsApp on Galaxy Watch
Once set up, here’s how you can use WhatsApp on your Galaxy Watch:
View & Read WhatsApp Messages
When you get a new WhatsApp notification on your phone, it will immediately pop up on your watch. To view and read messages:
- Swipe down from top to open notification drawer
- Tap on the new WhatsApp notification
- It will open the message thread with full chat history
- Swipe up/down to read all messages
You can read, scroll and catch up on full conversations directly from your watch.
Quick Replies to Messages
To quickly respond to WhatsApp messages from your watch:
- Open the message notification and swipe left on the message
- Tap on the ‘Reply’ icon to view quick replies
- Choose one of the preset quick replies to send
- You can customize these quick replies in the app settings
This allows you to respond without typing on the small screen.
Voice Message Replies
For longer replies, use voice dictation:
- Open the WhatsApp message and swipe left
- Tap on the ‘Voice’ icon and choose language
- Dictate your message and tap send
- It will transcribe and send the voice message
Speak out your replies to send longer messages hands-free.
Send New WhatsApp Messages
You can start a new WhatsApp chat by:
- Opening the companion app on your watch
- Going to WhatsApp and selecting ‘New Message’
- Enter the contact name or number to message
- Type or dictate your message
- Tap send to deliver the message via WhatsApp
This allows you to initiate chats from your watch itself.
Tips for Using WhatsApp on Galaxy Watch
Here are some useful tips to improve your WhatsApp experience on the Galaxy Watch:
- Customize notifications to only alert you for priority contacts or groups
- Add useful quick replies like “Talk later”, “On my way”, “Can’t talk now”
- Disable chat history sync to avoid filling up your watch storage
- Use voice dictation reply when convenient instead of typing
- Make sure both devices have internet connectivity for syncing
- Increase notification vibration strength for perceivable alerts
- Charge watch daily to ensure smooth WhatsApp usage
Optimizing these settings makes using WhatsApp quicker and more convenient on your watch.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp on Galaxy Watch
Here are some common issues and fixes for WhatsApp problems on Samsung Galaxy Watch:
WhatsApp Notifications Not Showing on Watch
- Ensure notifications are enabled for WhatsApp in the companion app settings on both devices
- Check that notifications are enabled for WhatsApp in your phone’s app settings
- Make sure all permissions are allowed for the companion app
- Force close and restart both the companion and WhatsApp apps on your devices
Messages Out of Sync Between Phone and Watch
- Check your watch has an active internet connection
- Manually sync messages in companion app settings
- Unlink and relink WhatsApp account in the watch app
Can’t Link WhatsApp Account on Watch
- Make sure WhatsApp is installed and logged in on your phone
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version on your phone
- Restart both the watch and phone apps and try linking again
- Factory reset the companion app on watch and phone and set up again
Voice Reply Not Working
- Allow microphone permission for the companion app
- Check internet connection on watch is active
- Speak close to watch mic and check dictation language
- Disable battery optimizations for the app if using a Samsung phone
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Watch does allow you to send and receive WhatsApp messages, with some limitations. By installing a third-party companion app like Wristbuddy or Unified Remote, you can view notifications, quick reply, voice message and start new WhatsApp chats from your watch.
While not as seamless as the native app experience on Apple Watch, this handy capability makes staying on top of WhatsApp chats convenient and easy from your wrist when paired with an Android phone. With the proper setup and optimizations, you can cut down on constantly pulling out your phone to chat on WhatsApp.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| View and reply to messages from wrist | No dedicated first party WhatsApp app |
| Quick replies and voice dictation | Requires third party companion app |
| Full chat history accessible | Typing messages can be tedious |
| Start new chats from watch | Syncing issues may occur |
| Hands-free conversations | Less seamless experience than Apple Watch |
So if you own a Samsung Galaxy Watch and want to use WhatsApp on the go, it is certainly possible with some extra setup steps. The ability to view, respond and send WhatsApp messages directly from your wrist makes this a useful feature to have if you are a frequent WhatsApp user.