Samsung’s One UI 8 Watch update is inching closer to prime time — at least for Galaxy Watch 7 owners willing to live life on the beta edge. Today, the company pushed out its second beta build, version ZYH2, to testers in South Korea and the US, signaling that the stable release might not be far behind (Source: SammyGuru).
A long-expected and highly welcome advancement
Every step forward is a good one
If you were hoping this would be the Galaxy S24 or Fold/Flip 6’s turn for One UI 8 beta, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. Samsung’s focus here is squarely on tightening up the Watch 7 experience before it ships the final firmware. And judging from the changelog, this update is all about squashing some pesky bugs rather than rolling out shiny new features.
The most noticeable fix addresses a frustrating workout detection issue. Outdoor cycling sessions would start automatically but refuse to stop, leaving users with wildly inflated activity stats. Beta 2 promises to finally shut down your ride when you do — without manual intervention.
Another annoyance is getting the axe: the lift-to-wake gesture failing after exiting Sleep Mode. Beta testers had complained that, post-nap, their watch would stubbornly ignore wrist raises, forcing them to poke at the display just to see the time. The new build should restore the “glance and go” convenience we expect from a smartwatch.
The beta update listing as seen in Korea, courtesy of SammyGuru (note: machine-translated via Google Translate).
For LTE Watch 7 owners, Samsung is also cleaning up a call-handling quirk. Previously, if you were already on a call and had Call Waiting active on your paired phone, incoming calls would sometimes get auto-rejected without giving you a chance to pick up. ZYH2 should now let you manage those calls like a civilized human.
The OTA update weighs in at 154.25MB and carries a security patch dated May 1, 2025. The South Korean release notes show the same bug fixes and no new features, meaning Samsung is clearly in polish mode.
What happens next depends on how clean this beta runs. If testers give the thumbs-up and no show-stopper bugs appear, Samsung could lock in a stable release date for the Watch 7 within weeks. Given that the beefier Galaxy Watch Ultra already received its One UI 8 Watch stable update, it’s reasonable to assume the 7 won’t be left hanging much longer.
One UI 8 Watch is expected to land on all Galaxy Watch models launched since 2021, so the improvements we’re seeing here could trickle down to a much wider audience soon. For now, if you’re in the beta program, it’s worth installing ZYH2 and seeing if Samsung’s fixes hold up — and if not, speak now, or forever hold your peace until the stable update drops.
