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Galaxy Watch Timer Harder to Use After One UI 8 Update

After updating to One UI 8, the Timer app on your Galaxy Watch no longer stays visible on screen. The timer moves to the Now Bar when the screen times out, which frustrates users who need to see the countdown constantly.


What Changed

One UI 8 made intentional changes to timer behavior:

  • Screen Timeout: Maximum timeout reduced to 1 minute (was 5 minutes before)
  • Now Bar Display: Timer moves to Now Bar when screen turns off
  • Not a Bug: This is by design, not a malfunction
  • Battery Focus: Samsung prioritized battery life over timer visibility

The Now Bar Workaround

Configure Now Bar to show timer countdown more prominently.

  1. On your watch, go to Settings Advanced features Now Bar
  2. Find Now Bar style settings
  3. Select Timer app
  4. Choose Icon with text
  5. Now when timer is active and screen turns off, the countdown shows in Now Bar

How Now Bar Works

After configuring:

  1. Start a timer normally
  2. When screen times out, look at the Now Bar at top of screen
  3. Timer countdown displays in the Now Bar area
  4. Tap to expand back to full timer view

Why Samsung Made This Change

The reasoning behind the design decision:

  • Battery Optimization: Keeping screen on drains battery significantly
  • User Feedback Split: Some users complained timer staying on was annoying
  • AMOLED Protection: Prevents screen burn-in from static timer display
  • Consistency: All apps now follow same timeout behavior

Third-Party Timer Apps

Alternative apps may offer different behavior.

  • Hevy App: For gym users, includes break timers between sets
  • Interval Timer Apps: Sport-specific timers with different screen behavior
  • Workout Apps: Many fitness apps include built-in timers that stay visible

What You Can't Change

These limitations are fixed in One UI 8:

  • 1 Minute Maximum: Screen timeout cannot exceed 1 minute
  • Timer Behavior: Cannot force timer to stay on screen
  • No Rollback: Cannot downgrade to One UI 7 behavior
  • System-Wide: Affects all Galaxy Watch models with One UI 8

Feedback to Samsung

If this change significantly impacts your use:

  1. Open Galaxy Wearable app
  2. Go to Support or Help
  3. Submit feedback requesting timer screen timeout options
  4. Describe your use case (cooking, workouts, etc.)

User feedback does influence future updates, though changes take time.


See Also: One UI 8 New Features|Galaxy Watch Software Updates|Now Bar Access Guide