Galaxy Watches could soon get a major UX change with a software update

Galaxy Watches run the One UI Watch software, which is based on Wear OS. Most features introduced with newer versions of Wear OS reach Galaxy Watches through One UI Watch updates. Now, a major UI and UX change could be introduced to Galaxy Watches with the next Wear OS update.

Google has announced (via 9To5Google) that it is adding a system status bar to Wear OS, and it will be persistently visible at the top of the smartwatch's circular display over app windows. This will make it similar to the status bar that shows the time and other system indicators on Android smartphones and tablets.

The feature has been released as a preview for developers so they can see how their Wear OS apps look with the status bar.

Apps using the latest tools (API 35+ and Compose for Wear OS 1.8.0-alpha02+) will automatically adapt to the new status bar. The operating system will take over the task of displaying the time, suppressing any custom in-app clocks. The status bar will automatically hide when the user scrolls through content and then reappear after two seconds of idle time.

For apps that need a full-screen experience, the status bar can be hidden. It will automatically disappear when full-screen interactive components are active.

Google has also announced Wear OS 7.1. It is scheduled for release in the future, but the system status bar won't be a part of that update. Google is currently just testing the feature, and there is no timeline as to when it will make it to Galaxy Watches or other Wear OS watches.