Thought your Galaxy Watch was safe? This issue is back to prove you wrong

A few months ago, we noticed a growing number of Galaxy Watch users experience a persistent battery drainage caused by Play Services. At the time, the problem was evident across multiple generations and models. The issue was resolved relatively quickly, only to return again.

Sounds familiar?

Once again, users in the r/GalaxyWatch subreddit have started sharing their battery stats, showing a frustrating issue is returning. It appears that Google Play Services has started consuming way more power than it should.The posted data shows widely varied consumption levels. Some users report Play Services accounts for around 12-20% of battery usage, while others notice figures closer to 30%.

As if that’s not enough, some users can’t see which apps account for battery usage in the settings. This issue was also noticed by some users back in April.

Affected models

It appears that the problem isn’t limited to a single Galaxy Watch model. Online data shows Play Services is plaguing Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Galaxy Watch 6, Galaxy Watch 8, and even the pricey Galaxy Watch Ultra. 

If you’ve noticed the battery life on your Galaxy Watch drains faster than usual, you should check the app usage under Battery in the settings menu. 

Is there a solution?

Since Samsung fixed the problem once, it’ll probably do it again. But until it does, users are largely left to fend on their own. Some attempted fixes involve rebooting the device and manually updating necessary apps while the watch is charging. Supposedly, the latter could help limit battery drainage caused by Play Services. 

Despite these suggested solutions, there appears to be no universal solution that works for every Galaxy Watch owner. At least not yet.

Which is better?

Data analysis shows that most users usually manage to fix such issues by resetting their device. If the problem is caused by a Wear OS update, Google typically releases fixes to address such kinds of bugs, though this process can take some time.

What’s the point?

Wearables are supposed to make it easier to keep your health and wellness on track while staying connected. But when a single app drains the battery so quickly that you have to constantly keep your smartwatch on the charger, the whole point of convenience is lost. 

To me, the most concerning thing of all is that it has happened before. If Google Play Services renders Galaxy Watches largely unusable every few months, how many times does it need to happen before a permanent fix restores the user experience?