3 Samsung Galaxy Watch features you're probably not using, but should be

Just got a new Samsung Galaxy Watch? Check out these 3 hidden features you won't want to miss Features (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future / Matt Evans) (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Max Slater-Robins published Getting the most out of your Samsung Galaxy Watch shouldn't be hard - here's how Most people buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch for the basics - fitness tracking, notifications, and the convenience of having a small slice of their phone on their wrist at all times. But Samsung ’s wearables have steadily gained more advanced, genuinely helpful features that often sit buried in menus or require an extra toggle during setup, meaning many owners never try them. If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or newer, several tools can help to support you in tracking your health, daily habits, and overall ease of use. In this guide, we’re highlighting three features that deserve far more attention, with each one working across the most recent Galaxy Watch line-up, provided you’re running recent Wear OS updates. Each feature can be switched on in a couple of minutes, to boot. 1. Body Composition Analysis Samsung’s Body Composition Analysis is one of the most powerful features on the Galaxy Watch, yet many people try it once during setup and rarely return for more. Using a built-in sensor - introduced with the Galaxy Watch 4 and now standard across newer models - the watch estimates key metrics such as body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, body water, and BMI. It’s designed for personal insight rather than medical use, but when used consistently, it can help you understand how your training, diet, and sleep habits are affecting your body over time. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. To start using it, the process is straightforward. Open Samsung Health on your watch, scroll to Body composition, and follow the on-screen positioning guide. You’ll need to keep the watch snug on your wrist, lightly touch two fingers to the side buttons, and remain still while the reading completes - it usually takes around fifteen seconds. Where this feature really shines is in trend-tracking: Single readings are less important than how your metrics shift across weeks or months, and Samsung Health presents this long-term view clearly. It's worth noting that there are a few caveats. Anyone with implanted medical devices should avoid BIA measurements (Samsung includes clear warnings in the app), and results should also be understood as estimates rather than absolutes, with an emphasis on patterns, not precision. 2. Gestures for calls and apps Gesture controls might be one of the most overlooked conveniences on the Galaxy Watch, largely because they’re not all enabled by default. Once switched on, though, they make the watch far easier to use when your hands are full, when you’re mid-workout, or when you simply want quicker access to actions. The standout gesture is the double-pinch: A quick pinch of your thumb and index finger twice lets you answer...

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