Samsung is facing a serious technical crisis with the release of the Wear OS 6-based One UI 8 Watch update for its smartwatches. This latest major software package for the Galaxy Watch 4 series, contrary to its promises of visual improvements and performance enhancements, has led to critical hardware malfunctions, particularly for Galaxy Watch 4 Classic users.

One UI 8 Watch Update Causes Problems

According to user reports, the biometric sensors that provide the watch’s basic functions are completely disabled immediately after the update is installed. Bug reports reflected in Samsung Community forums show that the device’s diagnostic tools give a “failed” warning for wrist detection, Body Composition Analysis (BIA), and ECG sensors.

This problem cannot be resolved with standard software recovery methods. Common solutions such as restoring the device to factory settings or clearing cache data do not reactivate the sensors. Affected users state that the sensors only start reading data when the watch face is turned towards the inside of the wrist (palm side).

This situation creates uncertainty as to whether the source of the error is a software algorithm mistake or a hardware trigger. Currently, the malfunction appears to be concentrated only on models with the “Classic” logo.

While Samsung has yet to release an official statement on the matter, there are strong indications that there have been disruptions in the software distribution process. Many Galaxy Watch 4 Classic owners are reporting that the update has not reached their devices.

This strengthens the possibility that the company has quietly halted the distribution of the One UI 8 Watch update to prevent the spread of the problem. Currently, the only options for users with malfunctioning sensors appear to be waiting for a new patch from Samsung or contacting authorized service centers.