With the recent release of the One UI Watch 5 update for Wear OS Galaxy smartwatches, Samsung revamped Theater Mode. The latter was a smartwatch-specific feature users could activate from the quick toggle area on One UI Watch. But One UI Watch 5 came along, and Samsung made some (positive) changes to the way it works. Here's all you need to know.
In essence, Theater Mode is no longer bound to smartwatches. Now, it's a component of Modes & Routines that works across your Galaxy devices, i.e., your smartwatch and your connected smartphone or tablet. It's similar to Sleep Mode in that regard.
As a result, when you enable Theater Mode on your Galaxy Watch, conveniently, the feature also turns on for your connected smartphone, which makes sense if you're at the theater and want all your mobile devices to be stealthy.
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How to enable Theater Mode on Watches running One UI Watch 5
You can enable this new Theater Mode on your Galaxy Watch via the quick toggle area, just like you could before. Now, however, you must first set it up on your smartphone. Here's a step-by-step guide:
First, swipe down on the watch faces from the top to access the quick toggle area. Tap the “Modes” toggle and select “Theater.” You'll be instructed to continue the setup on your phone.
Switch to the connected smartphone and tap “Start.” Select how long you want Theater Mode to stay on, then tap “Next.” You'll also be asked to set parameters for Do Not Disturb and tweak other settings for dark mode, sound mode, and Always on Display. When you're ready, tap “Done.”
Keep in mind that these settings will affect your phone and your smartwatch alike. For example, if you have DND enabled for Theater Mode, your connected smartphone will also switch to DND when you turn on Theater Mode from your smartwatch. The same applies to AoD and sound settings.
