Samsung is rolling out a second One UI 8 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic; it’s part of a fast-moving test cycle as the company polishes its next-gen smartwatch software. The new build (software version R960XXU1ZYI5/R960OXM1ZYI5) comes in at around 158MB and also includes the most recent monthly security patch. Initial availability is commencing in South Korea now, with a broader rollout planned to follow.
The focus may be on Samsung’s phones, but this update serves as a strong reminder that the brand still has something of a rhythm to its wearables. For owners of the rotating-bezel flagship, a second beta usually means that significant bugs from the first wave have been fixed and polish has begun.
What the second beta offers for Galaxy Watch 6 Classic
Samsung’s short community notes hint at stability improvements, bug fixes, and performance tuning. In practical terms, beta 2 releases for One UI Watch tend to focus on animation fluidity, touch responsiveness, and bezel navigation precision — all areas where tiny tweaks can be noticeable in the day-to-day feel. Users will also experience tighter power management as optimizations are applied to background services, and consequently battery life and overnight drain may be affected.
The bundle also comes with the new monthly security patch, thereby securing Galaxy Watch 6 Classic units to Samsung’s current protection category. These patches are usually meant for plugging security holes highlighted in Google’s Android Security Bulletin and its corresponding advisories from Samsung, which can involve everything from tightening the Bluetooth stack to fixing issues at the level of the kernel.
While the changelog doesn’t detail new features, second betas often fine-tune health and fitness reliability — more reliable heart rate sampling during workouts, for example, or fewer dropouts in GPS traces — and incorporate improvements to interoperation with popular watch faces and third-party apps that depend on Wear OS.
Who can install the beta and how to get it now
The update is designated for the R960 code family of Galaxy Watch 6 Classic variants. To join the beta, owners typically sign up through the Samsung Members app from a paired Galaxy phone, agree to the program terms, and then manually check for the firmware via the Galaxy Wearable app under Watch settings > Watch software update > Download and install.
Before you begin, back up your watch data in the Galaxy Wearable app, make sure you have at least 50% battery, and are connected to good Wi‑Fi. Just hit refresh on your software update screen and the new build should appear (if beta 2 isn’t yet available in your region). As with all pre-release software, you can expect a few bugs here and there — hold off if your watch is mission-critical for training or travel.
Why It Matters for Watch 6 Classic Owners
Back-to-back betas mean Samsung is likely very close to finalizing a stable One UI 8 Watch release for its flagship from last year.
That bodes well for the long game: the Watch 6 Classic has continued to thrill enthusiasts with its mechanical bezel and robust battery profile, while ongoing software attention should help it keep pace with newer models.
One built-in lesson: Samsung usually runs its One UI Watch programs best when it moves quickly through early betas. Those later builds focus less on impressing with new features and more on tightening up the nitty-gritty — notification timing, calibrating sensors, and compatibility fixes with popular services. Beta 2 fits that pattern.
Rollout details and what to watch for next steps
It’s launching this week in South Korea and will roll out to other markets as feedback flows in. If you don’t see the update on your watch yet, monitor the Samsung Members community notices and periodically check your Wearable app — staged rollouts are common for catching edge-case bugs before reaching everyone.
Members are encouraged to use the beta feedback tools to report issues, especially anything related to battery or GPS accuracy, Bluetooth call stability, or app crashes, as these are areas on which Samsung can focus attention and squash bugs before pushing out the stable release.
Bottom line: The second One UI 8 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a solid one. It adds the newest level of security, polishes a few rough edges from the first release, and suggests that further refinement to the final build may be just around the corner once Samsung is happy with performance and reliability across various regions.
