Galaxy Watch 4 hit by software bug, according to reports
A recent update to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is reportedly leaving many users with bricked smartwatches.
The firmware update has left many users unable to switch the Galaxy Watch 4 back on after the watch has either been powered down or run out of battery. The bug appears to be affecting both the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
The flaw, which was reported by Sam Mobile, has been confirmed by many Watch 4 owners on Reddit and Samsung itself.
“This just happened to me last week with my Watch 4 Classic,” writes one Reddit user. I'm in the U.S. Shut down my watch to pack up the charger the night before a flight just to save the battery since it was full. Next morning it wouldn't respond. Putting it on the charger doesn't show any charging indication.”
Another Galaxy Watch 4 owner states: “Mine suddenly wouldn't turn on last week and I had no clue what it was. Tried everything including busting out the manual and couldn't figure it out. I contacted support and am sending it back for repair, but I honestly had no clue this was a widespread issue until I saw this post.”
The bug doesn’t appear to be affecting every device, with some customers reporting their watch continues to reboot with the new software update.
Affected firmware
According to Sam Mobile, the bug is within the firmware update carrying the number R8xxXXU1GVI3.
You can check the firmware version of your Galaxy Watch 4 by opening the Galaxy Wearable app on your smartphone and clicking Watch Settings > About Watch > Software Information.
If your Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has already been updated to the new software, it would be advisable not to switch the watch off or let it run out of battery until Samsung delivers a patch.
As the watches are unable to switch themselves back on, this wouldn’t appear to be a problem that can be resolved with a subsequent firmware update.
A spokesperson for Samsung said: “We are aware that a limited number of Galaxy Watch 4 series models are not turning on following a recent software (VI3) update. We have halted the update and will release new software shortly. We recommend consumers who may have experienced this issue with their Galaxy Watch 4 series to visit their nearest Samsung service center.”
