Samsung Ends Galaxy Watch 4 Updates: August 2026 Patch Is the Last
Samsung has stopped issuing software updates for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, quietly dropping both from the wearables it lists on its security update scope page. The August 2026 security patch is the last one either watch will receive, five years after they went on sale.
What changed on Samsung's support page
Samsung maintains a public list of Galaxy hardware covered by monthly, quarterly and biannual security updates. Wearables sit in their own quarterly section, and neither the Watch 4 nor the Watch 4 Classic appears there any more. The oldest models still on it are the Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 44mm and Watch 5 Pro.
There was no announcement. There rarely is one: a device simply falls off the list when its support window closes, which is why these dates get spotted rather than declared. The removal covers both Watch 4 sizes, 40mm and 44mm, and both Watch 4 Classic sizes, 42mm and 46mm. Samsung's list is global and does not separate Bluetooth from LTE variants, so no region or connectivity version is carved out.
Five years, four versions of Wear OS
The Watch 4 line launched in August 2021 as the first Galaxy watches to run Wear OS rather than Samsung's own Tizen, shipping with a Wear OS 3 base under the One UI Watch skin. Over the following five years they collected four major platform upgrades: Wear OS 3.5, Wear OS 4, Wear OS 5 and finally Wear OS 6, which reached them as One UI 8 Watch beginning in December 2025.
That makes One UI 8 Watch the terminal release for the hardware. Anyone still wearing a Watch 4 is on it, or on the older build if they never took the upgrade, and the August 2026 patch is the security floor from here.
Two foldables went at the same time
The watches were not the only devices trimmed. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 have also disappeared from the phone side of the same page. The oldest foldables still collecting quarterly patches are now the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, both from 2022.
Taken together, the revision retires Samsung's entire 2021 flagship wearable and foldable generation in one pass.
Which Galaxy watches are still covered
Every wearable Samsung still patches sits in the quarterly band, not the monthly one. As of this week the list reads:
- Galaxy Watch 5 40mm, Watch 5 44mm and Watch 5 Pro
- Galaxy Watch 6 40mm, Watch 6 44mm, Watch 6 Classic 43mm and Watch 6 Classic 47mm
- Galaxy Watch 7 40mm and Watch 7 44mm
- Galaxy Watch FE
- Galaxy Watch 8 40mm, Watch 8 44mm and Watch 8 Classic 46mm
- Galaxy Watch 9 40mm and Watch 9 44mm
- Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch Ultra 2
- Galaxy XR
Newer models are also the ones getting fresh software. Samsung has been rolling the One UI 9 Watch beta out through early September, with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra pulled in first and the Galaxy Watch 6 following on a Korea-only basis.
What Watch 4 owners should do now
Nothing breaks today. The watch keeps telling the time, tracking workouts, pairing over Bluetooth and running the apps already installed on it. Google Play on the watch still works, though individual apps will eventually raise their minimum requirements past Wear OS 6 and start dropping off.
What ends is the patching. Any Android or Samsung vulnerability disclosed after the August 2026 bulletin will not be fixed on this hardware, and the gap widens every quarter. That matters most if you use the watch for payments or keep it paired to a work account.
To confirm which patch your watch is on, open Settings on the watch itself, then About watch and Software information, or check through the Galaxy Wearable app on your paired phone. If it reads August 2026 or earlier, that is the final state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Galaxy Watch 4 stop working now that updates have ended?
No. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic keep working exactly as they did. Timekeeping, fitness tracking, Bluetooth pairing and installed apps are all unaffected. What stops is security patching, so no new Android or Samsung vulnerability fixes will reach the hardware after the August 2026 update.
What is the last software version for the Galaxy Watch 4?
One UI 8 Watch, based on Wear OS 6, is the final major software version for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic. It began rolling out to the watches in December 2025. The August 2026 security patch is the last security update on top of it.
How do I check which security patch my Galaxy Watch 4 is on?
On the watch, open Settings, scroll to About watch and tap Software information. You can also check from your paired phone by opening the Galaxy Wearable app and going into the watch settings. If the security patch level reads August 2026 or earlier, your watch is already on its final build.
Which Galaxy watches still get security updates?
Samsung still patches the Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic, Watch 7, Watch FE, Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, Watch 9, Watch Ultra and Watch Ultra 2, plus the Galaxy XR headset. All of them sit in the quarterly update band rather than the monthly one used for current Galaxy phones.
How long did Samsung support the Galaxy Watch 4?
Roughly five years. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic went on sale in August 2021 and received their final patch in August 2026. Across that span they took four major platform upgrades: Wear OS 3.5, Wear OS 4, Wear OS 5 and Wear OS 6.
