Samsung watch running slow? This simple trick made mine feel like new again

Embargo - Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

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Your Galaxy Watch is not so different from your phone or even a messy room. When put to great use, it, too, gets cluttered. 

By continually using your Galaxy Watch, regularly switching between apps and functionalities, or running too many apps at the same time, you’re bogging it down with data that clutters it and slows performance. This results in slower performance, frozen screens, and an annoying user experience. 

Also: I wore the best smartwatches from Apple, Google, and Samsung – here’s how the Galaxy Watch 8 wins 

Luckily, hope isn’t lost – and you don’t need to buy another device to fix this issue. In fact, I’d advise against doing so whenever you’re confronting any performance issue with your technology. Before you shell out more money on a new device, there are some tips and tricks you can use to breathe new life into an old one. 

This brings us to, quite possibly, the easiest fix to lagging smartwatch performance. The clearing of the cache. 

What’s a cache? 

Think of a cache like a garbage can. It temporarily stores your smartwatch data (or junk) and, in this half-baked analogy, considers that data when you log into sites or perform regular tasks. 

Just like a garbage can, it gets filled with junk after a while and begins to overflow if not properly handled. You eventually have to dispose of the junk in a dumpster to add more junk (or data) to the can. 

Clearing your cache removes some of that junk that’s making the garbage can (Galaxy Watch) performance laggy. 

Embargo - Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series

These tips apply to most, if not all, Samsung Galaxy Watch models.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

According to a Samsung spokesperson, the Galaxy Watch’s memory management operates automatically through system-driven optimization. However, you can still take manual steps to clear the watch’s memory. 

If your watch is buggy, laggy, or draining battery faster than normal, clearing the cache can remove corrupted or outdated files, one Reddit user explains

When shouldn’t I clear my cache? 

The Reddit user also explains that there are certain circumstances when you should avoid cache-clearing, like right after a software update, when the smartwatch is already using extra compute power to rebuild the cache. 

Could restarting my watch do the same thing? 

Also: How do clear your Android’s phone cache

Restarting your smartwatch could remove some bugs and glitches. However, a reboot won’t clear the cache, so no, it isn’t the same thing. 

How to clear your Galaxy Watch cache

To close all recent apps on your Galaxy Watch, swipe up from the watch face and tap the Recent apps icon. From there, select Close all.

If you want to manage apps running in the background, open the Recent apps screen again and tap Active in background. You can then select the specific app you want to close.

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To optimize your phone’s performance, go to Settings, select Device Care, and then tap Memory. From there, you can choose Clean Now to free up space.

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Final word

It’s best practice to occasionally clear your Galaxy Watch’s cache, especially if you notice performance slowdowns or hiccups. The process is straightforward and quick, but it should make a noticeable difference to how your watch performs afterward.

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