The biggest perk of owning a proper Wear OS smartwatch is access to the Google Play Store. Now, as a Samsung Galaxy Watch user, you’ve probably already installed the usual suspects—Spotify, Google Keep, Google Maps, and the like. However, that’s just scratching the surface—there are plenty of great apps waiting to be discovered. Here are four apps that rarely get talked about but are so good that I always install them on my Samsung Galaxy Watch.
I’m currently using a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Before that, I used a Galaxy Watch 4. These apps work on both models, as well as most other Wear OS smartwatches.
Brand
Samsung
Operating System
Wear OS
The rotating bezel is back, offering satisfying control in a redesigned body. It’s a blend of old and new, though not everyone will love the Ultra-inspired look.
Sectograph
A clock and a calendar combined
While some might think that I’m exaggerating when I say that Sectograph is the one app that convinced me to buy a smartwatch, it’s actually true. I first stumbled across the app back in 2022 and used it as a widget on my phone’s home screen. But the app really shines as a watch face, so I bought a discounted Galaxy Watch 4 in 2023 just to use it.
It’s essentially an analog clock that helps you visualize your calendar events as time-boxed segments on the clock face. It gives you a very intuitive and quick look at which event is currently active, which one is coming up next, and how long until it starts. It also has a small digital clock with the current date in the center if you find it difficult to tell time using analog hands.
In terms of setup, all you need to do is install the app on both your phone and your watch using the same account, connect it to the calendar where all your events are stored, and that’s about it. Sectograph will display every event for the day directly on the clock face.
Related
I built a Wear OS watch face without knowing how to code—Gemini did the heavy lifting
This is what happens when you ask Gemini to build a watch face from a screenshot.
Stratum
2FA codes on your wrist
Next up is Stratum, formerly known as Authenticator Pro. It’s a 2FA app similar to Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. You pair your accounts with it, and whenever you’re logging in, you simply open the app to retrieve your 2FA code.
I’ve personally always used Google Authenticator, but it’s not available for Wear OS. After thorough research, I found Stratum to be the next best thing—possibly even better. Unlike Google Authenticator, Stratum is completely free and open-source, with a strong emphasis on security.
Now, the main reason I keep my 2FA app on my watch is because I find it much more convenient. Whenever I need a 2FA code on my phone, I have to reach for it and hunt down the app in an app drawer where hundreds of distracting apps compete for my attention. Having my codes readily accessible from my wrist streamlines the process and makes the overall experience far less distracting—especially since my watch doesn’t have social media or other distracting apps.
Related
Your accounts aren’t as safe as you think: The danger of SMS 2FA
Your email two-factor authentication isn’t much better, unfortunately.
SimpleWear
Control your phone from your watch
SimpleWear lets you control your smartphone from your smartwatch. Now, if you pair your Galaxy Watch with a Galaxy smartphone, you might not strictly need this app—Samsung already provides a layer of seamless integration that lets you control your phone from your watch and vice versa. That said, there are still a few niche features in SimpleWear that you might find useful.
Starting with the basics, you can use SimpleWear to toggle your phone’s Wi-Fi, location, flashlight, and Do Not Disturb mode, control the volume and media playback, lock the screen, and more. You can even initiate phone calls from your watch.
However, the feature I like most is the ability to launch any app installed on your phone directly from your watch. Say your phone is docked beside your desk, and you don’t feel like reaching for it. You can simply launch the app you want from your wrist. Once it’s open, you can use SimpleWear to turn your watch into a touchpad for your phone, letting you control the app and navigate it from a distance.
Related
I finally paired my Galaxy Watch with a Samsung phone and realized what I was missing
Some nifty features are locked behind a phone requirement.
WearMouse
Use your watch as a wireless input device
If you like the idea of using your smartwatch as a touchpad, you’re going to love WearMouse, which turns your watch into a full-fledged wireless input device. It’s truly cross-platform, so not only can you use it to control your smartphone, but also your desktop or laptop. It supports all the major OSes, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
As for features, you can use it as a gyro mouse—move your hand around, and the cursor follows—or as a touchpad by dragging your finger across the watch screen. You can also turn your Galaxy Watch into a virtual keyboard for the connected device.
Speaking of which, I should mention that I’ve used the on-watch keyboards on the Pixel Watch and Apple Watch, and Samsung’s keyboard on the Galaxy Watch is simply the best of the three. You’d think typing—or even swipe-typing—with a big finger on such a tiny screen would be inaccurate, but it’s surprisingly precise and rarely leaves me with typos.
Related
You can use your Android phone as a wireless mouse (or keyboard)
It works a lot better than you might expect.
Four down, dozens more to go
There you have it—four apps I always install on my Galaxy Watch that I rarely see other people talk about. But this is not exhaustive and merely the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more genuinely useful, powerful apps out there—some popular, others flying under the radar—and I’ll highlight a few more in a future article.