Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatches are finally getting their first security update. The watches started shipping in August with the new One UI Watch 5 update and the June 2023 security patch preloaded. And they kept running on the same security patch ever since.
Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatches are now getting the November 2023 security update. The package weighs almost 700MB, and users can identify it by firmware version XXU1AWK4.
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We can confirm that the update is rolling out in Europe, at the least. But as of this writing, it looks like only the Bluetooth models are getting the new firmware. We're guessing the LTE variants shouldn't be far behind.
The changelog mentions only security improvements, so Galaxy Watch 6 users shouldn't expect any new features from this release despite the relatively big ~700MB size.
The first of many updates
Samsung's smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, will be supported with security patches for five years. The November 2023 security update for the Galaxy Watch 6 lineup should be the first of many.
However, it's worth keeping in mind that, unlike updates for Galaxy phones, security patches for Galaxy smartwatches don't follow a fixed schedule.
Smartwatches don't need as much attention as smartphones in this regard, and new security patches are released at lower intervals. They usually arrive unannounced and don't follow a monthly or quarterly release pattern.
If you want to update your Galaxy Watch 6, open the Samsung Wearable app on your connected smartphone, access “Watch settings,” go to “Watch software update,” and tap “Download and install.”