Live Updates coming to Galaxy Watch models via Now Bar in 2026

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Earlier this week, Google fully revealed Live Updates, a new feature inspired by Apple's Live Activities. It is coming to phones and tablets with the Android 16 (One UI 8 for Samsung devices) update later this year. It is also coming to smartwatches next year, which means it will also come to compatible Galaxy Watches.

Galaxy Watches to get Live Updates via Now Bar in late 2026

During a developer event at Google I/O 2025 this week, Google revealed that Live Updates are coming to wearables in late 2026. It means compatible smartwatches running Wear OS will get it next year. Those smartwatches will include Samsung's Galaxy Watches. However, since the feature is coming in late 2026, Live Updates won't be a part of the One UI 8 Watch update that is coming to Galaxy Watches this year.

You can watch the announcement in the video below.

It was recently revealed that One UI 8 Watch includes the Now Bar feature that debuted with the Android 15-based One UI 7 update for phones and tablets earlier this year. But Now Bar displays live notification updates only from Samsung's stock apps and some Google apps.

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The Live Updates feature, which is developed by Google, will work with all third-party Android and Wear OS apps that integrate it. Similar to how Samsung integrated its own Now Bar feature with Google's Live Updates feature in One UI 8, it will likely integrate Now Bar and Live Updates in the One UI Watch update that will be released after One UI 8 Watch.

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Google said Live Updates currently work with cab hailing, ride sharing apps, food delivery, package delivery, and navigation apps. However, it said it will expand Live Updates to work with more types of apps in the future once it finds more use cases for it.

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: T100

Asif is a computer engineer turned technology journalist. He has been using Samsung phones since 2004, and his current smartphone is the Galaxy S21 Ultra. He loves headphones, mechanical keyboards, and PC hardware. When not writing about technology, he likes watching crime and science fiction movies and TV shows.

Watch Now Bar One UI 8 Watch Wear OS Wear OS 7

Live Updates feature coming to Galaxy Watches in 2026

Galaxy Watches to get Live Updates via Now Bar in late 2026

Galaxy Watch Ultra Deals

Asif Iqbal Shaik - Senior Editor

[email protected]

First Samsung device: T100

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