Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Users Report Post-Update Battery Indicator Glitch

Samsung recently completed the One UI 8 Watch update rollout in December. Following this significant update, multiple Galaxy Watch 5 Pro users have reported a persistent battery-related issue that remains unaddressed by the January 2026 patch.

The Misleading Battery Indicator

Users affected by the issue state that the problem pertains to a malfunctioning battery indicator, which displays inaccurate charge levels rather than actual battery life. This suggests a calibration problem within the software rather than a hardware defect.

The reported bug causes the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to appear to recharge quickly. However, after charging ceases, the battery level can drop rapidly, with some reports indicating a decrease to 75% within minutes.

Similar behavior, though less severe, has also been observed on the standard Galaxy Watch 5, where the battery indicator typically drops to approximately 98% shortly after being removed from the charger.

Broader Impact and Unsuccessful Remedies

While not all Galaxy Watch 5 Pro users are impacted, those who are attribute the problem to a miscalibrated battery indicator within One UI 8 Watch. For many users, this issue specifically affects the display of battery levels, not the actual battery life or drain rate.

Reported attempts to resolve the issue, such as clearing the cache or performing a factory reset, have proven unsuccessful. A resolution from Samsung is currently pending, leaving affected users without a straightforward fix.

Device Specificity

The issue may be confined to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and potentially the standard Galaxy Watch 5. Notably, new Samsung smartwatches running One UI 8 Watch out-of-the-box are not reported to have this specific problem, suggesting it might be an artifact of the update process on older hardware.