Plug your Galaxy Watch 5 Pro into the charger, watch the indicator leap toward full, then remove it and see the percentage tumble minutes later. That odd, unsettling behavior is what a number of Galaxy Watch 5 Pro owners have been reporting since Samsung's One UI 8 Watch rollout finished late last year.
The issue isn't that watches are dying faster. Owners and testers say actual battery life appears unchanged. The problem is the indicator itself: it reads high while charging, then drops rapidly — sometimes from near 100% to about 75% within minutes of unplugging. A milder variant is also showing up on regular Watch 5 units, where the meter briefly sits at 98% immediately after removal.
What we know so far
Samsung delivered One UI 8 Watch in December and continued pushing monthly patches into January. Those security updates (which Samsung has been rolling out to multiple models) haven't, at least publicly, addressed this calibration bug. Users who’ve tried the usual troubleshooting steps — clearing the cache or a factory reset — report no improvement.
The pattern suggests a miscalibrated battery indicator in One UI 8 Watch rather than a hardware failure. That matters: faulty reporting can make a healthy battery feel unpredictable, prompt unnecessary resets or warranty claims, and simply erode trust in the device.
Samsung’s cadence for watch updates has been a little uneven lately; the company is juggling new devices and major UI changes alongside its broader hardware push, from foldables to other wearables. If you want context on how Samsung's product push looks alongside these software rollouts, see how the company is refining its hardware strategy with other product lines like its tri‑fold prototype Samsung’s Tri‑Fold Prototype: A Bold Step — With Compromises — Into Next‑Gen Foldables and upcoming phones such as the Galaxy S26 preview.
What you can do right now
There’s no cure-all. If your watch shows the symptom, try these steps (some users already reported doing so):
- Reboot the watch and the paired phone.
- Fully charge and then let the watch sit on the charger for an extra 30–60 minutes to see if the indicator stabilizes.
- Factory reset only if you suspect an app or pairing artifact — but back up first.
If nothing helps, contact Samsung Support. Document the behavior (video is great evidence) and include firmware versions. That makes it easier for reps to escalate the issue. For anyone who relies on accurate battery readings during long workouts or travel, consider carrying a small power bank or a second watch until a fix arrives.
This problem also highlights a broader point about smartwatches as they grow more complex: software updates can change the experience dramatically. Apple and Google have taken different approaches to tight platform integration and API changes; the smartwatch ecosystem is in flux. If you follow changes across platforms, you may find it interesting that shifts in how watches sync and update — like Apple’s recent moves around iPhone–Apple Watch Wi‑Fi behavior — are changing user expectations across the board Apple to Disable iPhone–Apple Watch Wi‑Fi Sync in EU as DMA Deadline Looms.
When a fix might arrive
There’s no public patch rollout specifically flagged to repair the gauge behavior. Samsung typically bundles bug fixes into monthly security or minor firmware updates, so a resolution could show up in a future watch update. In the meantime, keep your watch on the latest firmware and continue reporting the issue through official channels; the more reports that enter Samsung’s bug-tracking systems, the faster it’s likely to get prioritized.
If you’re shopping for a new Samsung wearable and One UI 8 Watch is a selling point, this glitch is worth knowing about. It appears limited mostly to the Watch 5 Pro (with some spillover to Watch 5), rather than being a universal One UI 8 Watch problem — but that may change as more users install the update.
For now, the simplest move is patience paired with caution: treat displayed percentages as provisional, and reach out to Samsung if the numbers interfere with daily use.