Last updated: June 2nd, 2024 at 16:38 UTC+02:00
There was a time when Samsung’s smartwatches used to run on its Tizen operating system. The company later decided to switch over to Wear OS with the Galaxy Watch 4 series, and has remained on the Android-powered platform ever since.
If it wasn’t clear that Samsung is never going to release another Tizen smartwatch, the fact that it’s going to stop supporting them from next year should make it abundantly clear. Samsung is cutting off Galaxy Store access for Tizen smartwatches in 2025.
Tizen smartwatches are finally being put to rest
Samsung has provided a roadmap for how Galaxy Store support will be terminated for Tizen-powered wearable devices. It starts off on September 30, 2024, when the Galaxy Store will stop selling paid content like apps, watch faces, for Tizen watches. From May 31, 2025, it won’t be possible to download any new content from the Galaxy Store on these devices. All core services related to Tizen watches will stop everywhere except the Galaxy Store.
Starting September 2025, it won’t be possible to re-download any previously purchased content through the “My Apps” section in the Galaxy Store. This would ultimately mean that Tizen-powered watch owners won’t be able to access any free or paid content on the Galaxy Store.
The roadmap is applicable to all Tizen-powered wearable devices, including the Samsung Gear and Galaxy Watch-branded devices. This doesn’t affect the Galaxy Watch 4 series and any other devices released since then as they all run the Android-powered Wear OS.
Be sure to download any new content or re-download any previously purchased content before these deadlines. Any content that you’ve downloaded will remain accessible on the device until you delete it manually.
It’s hardly surprising that Samsung has finally decided to pull the plug on this. There are far better wearables that it offers now, with the full Wear OS app catalog. Besides, there are plenty of deals on Samsung watches that the company routinely offers to help make it easier for you to upgrade.