Talks about Samsung allowing users to control TVs with a Galaxy Watch are nothing new. An Android Authority APK teardown hinted at the feature some time ago, and Samsung later officially confirmed it during CES 2025, where it unveiled its 2025 TV lineup. Yes, you can control Samsung TVs using a Galaxy Watch. It’s a very cool idea in theory, but how well does it work in practice? Do the gestures respond smoothly? What about lag? Android Headlines and others got a hands-on demo, offering a closer look at how it all works.
The Galaxy Watch can control Samsung’s newest TVs pretty well!
Early impressions suggest that Samsung’s Universal Gestures work surprisingly well. The system lets users control their TV with simple hand movements, like pinching to select an item, pulling back to pause, pushing forward to play, and making a fist before opening it to go back. To return to the home screen, users repeat that last motion twice. The gestures need to be clear and deliberate to register correctly, but Android Headlines noted that once you get used to them, they feel smooth and natural.
The most exciting part, however, is the Galaxy Watch integration. According to the demo, the feature works on the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer models, including the Galaxy Watch Ultra. With just a flick of the wrist, users can navigate menus and control playback without needing a remote. Even in a crowded demo area where wireless interference could have been a problem, the connection stayed fast and stable with little to no noticeable lag.
In particular, it was demoed with Samsung’s Neo QLED 4K (QN90F), which starts at $1,399 for the 43-inch variant. It goes up to 98 inches, which costs $14,999. So, the bottom line is that letting users control Samsung’s latest TVs with a Galaxy Watch indeed looks great.
