Why your Galaxy phone doesn't charge your Samsung smartwatch

Have you tried placing your Samsung Galaxy Watch on the back of your Galaxy phone only to realize it doesn’t charge anymore? That feature, known as Wireless PowerShare or reverse wireless charging, used to work with older Galaxy Watch models.

But with Samsung’s latest watches, starting with the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it’s no longer supported. If you’re wondering why your watch won’t charge this way, there's a good reason for it.

Samsung didn’t remove Wireless PowerShare just for the sake of it. The company redesigned the BioActive Sensor—the sensor that handles the health tracking features—and the back glass on its new watches to improve tracking accuracy and add more fitness features. Unfortunately, those design changes conflict with the way reverse wireless charging works, making it impossible for the new watches to charge on the back of a phone.

Another factor is the strap design. Back in 2022, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro technically supported Wireless PowerShare, but the bulky strap design often got in the way. Many users had to remove the strap entirely before the feature would work, which was impractical. The same limitation applies to Samsung’s newer Galaxy smartwatches, as they use a similar band design.

While it might feel like a step back in terms of convenience, it’s worth noting that Wireless PowerShare was always more of a backup solution than a primary charging method. Many Galaxy Watch users rarely used it in the first place. By prioritizing better health and fitness tracking over a niche feature, Samsung was hoping that most people will appreciate the trade-off.

Below is a list of Galaxy smartwatches that do not support wireless charging using a Galaxy phone's Wireless PowerShare feature. If you’re planning to buy a new Samsung smartwatch, you should also keep in mind that every Galaxy Watch released after these models is unlikely to support Wireless PowerShare.