Samsung’s newest Galaxy watch series, the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, has arrived with One UI Watch 8 on Wear OS 6. The devices boast improved performance and aesthetics, but compatibility issues arise when paired with the latest Android beta version (16 QPR1). Users have reported that their watches fail to connect to their phones due to an incompatible software version.
The issue primarily affects Pixel users running the Android 16 beta. When attempting to pair the watch with a phone, the Galaxy Wearable app downloads the Watch Manager plugin but fails to do so. This causes the app to crash and restarts the pairing process. Despite this inconvenience, Samsung’s watches remain a significant upgrade over other devices.
To avoid compatibility issues, buyers can opt for public builds of Android on their phones, which work seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch 8 series. With minor feature losses, these watches offer excellent performance and style.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2025/07/16/samsung-galaxy-watch-8-android-16-redesign-compatibility