Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch 7 Still Have Reverse Charging Capability

You can still reverse charge your Galaxy Watch Ultra or Watch 7 with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Not in the traditional way, though. The new watch isn’t incompatible with the Galaxy phones’ wireless power sharing feature. However, it can be charged off the phone’s battery using the in-box charging puck. Simply plug the puck into your phone’s USB-C port and the Galaxy Watch Ultra will draw power from its battery to charge itself.

Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 7 support reverse charging

Samsung’s newest smartwatches — the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra — bring several notable hardware and software upgrades over previous models. However, both dropped support for wireless power sharing. This feature allows you to charge your compatible watches, earbuds, and other phones wirelessly off the back of your flagship Galaxy smartphone — a handy tool for urgent battery top-ups.

According to Samsung, the redesigned BioActive health sensor that offers a 30% improvement in health tracking pushed the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra’s internal wireless charging coil away from the inner surface. As such, they cannot wirelessly draw power from Galaxy phones. The company even recommends against using older charging pucks as they cannot charge the new watches at full speed.

While we understand Samsung’s reasoning, it’s disappointing that the super-expensive Galaxy Watch Ultra misses out on a convenient perk of the Galaxy ecosystem. Thankfully, there is a workaround. While not as convenient as wireless charging, the new wearable can draw power from your Galaxy smartphone via its charging puck. If you have the puck around, you can charge the watch off your phone.

This also works for the Galaxy Watch 7. While reverse wireless charging is gone, the new Samsung watches support reverse “wired” charging. The Watch 7 starts at $299.99, while the Ultra costs $649.99. You may bag one at a cheaper price with Samsung’s promotional offers, though. Available in three colors, you can mix and match the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s official bands and colors to create 30 unique combinations.