Galaxy Watch · Storage & Backup

Back up watch settings and perform a factory reset

Galaxy Watch backs up its settings, watch faces, and app layout to your Samsung account automatically when paired, which lets a replacement or factory-reset watch restore most of its prior configuration during setup rather than starting from scratch.

How to open Backup & Restore

  1. Confirm recent Samsung Health data has synced to the phone app before resetting, since unsynced offline data is erased.
  2. On the watch, go to Settings → General → Reset → Reset, or use Galaxy Wearable → Watch settings → Reset if the watch is unresponsive.
  3. During the guided setup that follows, choose Restore from backup and sign into the same Samsung account used before the reset.
  4. Reinstall any third-party watch apps manually afterward — restore covers Samsung's own settings and layout, not necessarily every third-party app's internal saved data.

What you should know

  • Backup happens automatically in the background once signed into a Samsung account on the watch — there's no separate manual backup button to press for routine use.
  • To factory reset, use Settings → General → Reset on the watch, or Galaxy Wearable → Watch settings → Reset from the phone if the watch's screen is unresponsive.
  • During setup of a replacement or freshly reset watch, choose "Restore from backup" when prompted and sign into the same Samsung account to pull down the prior configuration.
  • Unpairing a watch from Galaxy Wearable (rather than resetting on-watch) also triggers a factory reset as part of the disconnect process.

A factory reset erases all on-watch data including offline health data not yet synced — confirm Samsung Health has synced recently before resetting if recent activity data matters to you.

Why it matters

Knowing that backup is automatic — but restore only pulls settings and layout, not necessarily every third-party app's internal data — sets the right expectations before a reset, and prevents people from unnecessarily fearing that troubleshooting steps like a reset mean starting completely over.

Best practices

  • Make sure the watch has synced recently (open Samsung Health, check last sync time) before doing a reset, to avoid losing recent unsynced health data.
  • Use the phone-initiated reset via Galaxy Wearable when the watch screen itself is unresponsive or the touchscreen is malfunctioning.
  • Re-verify Samsung Wallet cards and any two-factor/authenticator watch apps after a restore — payment cards in particular often need to be re-added rather than being fully restored automatically for security reasons.

Common problems and fixes

Restore from backup doesn't bring back a specific watch face or app
Backup restore covers most system settings and Samsung-native items reliably, but some third-party apps and custom watch face configurations may need to be reinstalled and reconfigured manually.
Watch is unresponsive and won't enter reset mode from the touchscreen
Try a forced restart first (usually holding the home/power button for roughly 7 seconds), then attempt reset from Galaxy Wearable on the phone if the screen still won't respond.

Tips and tricks

  • If you're switching to a new Galaxy Watch rather than resetting the same one, unpairing the old watch (which resets it) and pairing the new one under the same Samsung account is the standard migration path — no separate export/import step is needed.

Frequently asked questions

Will a factory reset remove Samsung Wallet cards?

Yes — a factory reset removes payment cards from the watch for security reasons, and they'll need to be re-added and re-verified with your card issuer afterward, even after restoring other settings from backup.