After the One UI 8 Watch update on older Galaxy Watches, many users complained of bugs, quick battery drain, stutter in the UI, and even unresponsive sensors. Thankfully, Samsung promised a fix this month, starting on January 12. The Galaxy Watch 5 is the first to get this update, which also bundles the January 2026 security patch.

Galaxy Watch 5 gets January 2026 update with improved system stability

Samsung recently released an update for the Galaxy Watch 5 in Europe. While the official release notes only mention the January 2026 security patch and improved system stability, this update should also fix the various bugs users faced after installing One UI 8 Watch. 

The update for Galaxy Watch 5 comes with the firmware build version DYL6. The OTA file weighs just under 148MB for the Bluetooth model. Of course, the exact size can vary depending on the model, connectivity variant, and region.

The January update isn’t available for other watches yet, not even the latest Galaxy Watch 8 series. However, we expect the rollout to expand to more regions and more models in the coming days. We will keep you posted as Samsung gradually covers more watches with the January update.

I have installed the new release on my Watch 5, and I can confirm improvements in the lag issues in Quick Settings and Tiles. If I notice any other major changes in the coming days, I’ll be sure to let you know.

If you own a Galaxy Watch 5 or any other Samsung watch, you can check for the update in the Galaxy Wearable app on your connected phone. Navigate to Watch settings > Watch Software update, and tap Download and install. Make sure your watch battery is charged at least at 30% to install the update.