Samsung has opened the One UI 8 Watch beta program for the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. Interested users in Korea can now join the program to get an early preview of the Wear OS 6-based update. The beta program should expand to the United States in the near future.

Galaxy Watch 6 series finally gets One UI 8 Watch Beta

Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic users in South Korea can join the program via the Samsung Members app. Simply log in with your Samsung Account, scroll to the Beta Program hub, and follow the enrollment steps. If you’ve previously joined the One UI 8 Beta for a smartphone, the process will feel familiar. Otherwise, it only requires accepting the terms and conditions and tapping Enroll.

Once registered, the One UI 8 Watch beta update will be delivered directly through the Galaxy Wearable app, accessible under Software Update. Samsung advises backing up your watch data and ensuring the battery is above 50 percent before installing the update. We will let you know when the company launches beta programs for other eligible watches.

Samsung needs to be quick with these updates

If Samsung’s fragmented One UI 8 rollout for Galaxy phones was frustrating, the situation is even more complicated for smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) received the One UI 8 Watch update back in July, while the Watch 7 has been stuck in beta for three months. Now, Samsung is finally expanding the beta program to additional models, though there’s still no word on when the stable release will arrive.

Worse yet, the One UI 8 Watch beta program for the Watch 6 series is unlikely to be available globally. Currently rolling out in Korea, it should expand to the US soon, and that’s it. Unfortunately, users in other parts of the world can’t do anything about it but wait for Samsung to roll out the stable version.