Which App You Actually Need
This is the part that catches almost everyone, so start here.
Search "Samsung Galaxy Watch" in the App Store and the first result is an app literally called Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S). It looks like the official app for your watch. For most people reading this, it is not.
| Your watch | Runs | What connects it to an iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Gear S2, Gear S3, Gear Sport | Tizen | The Gear S app, unmaintained since February 2022 |
| Galaxy Watch (2018), Watch Active, Active2, Watch3 | Tizen | The Gear S app, unmaintained since February 2022 |
| Galaxy Watch 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, FE, Ultra, Ultra 2 | Wear OS | **Lynio.** Samsung never made an iPhone app for these |
If your watch is in the bottom row, you did not install a broken app. You installed an app for a different generation of hardware, because Samsung named it in a way that makes that almost unavoidable.
What the Gear S App Was Meant to Be
It was not a thin app. Samsung built it to do real work from an iPhone: download and install watch apps from Samsung's own store, change sound mode and ringtone, push content to the watch, manage settings, and find a lost watch. For a stretch around 2017 and 2018 it was the reason you could reasonably own a Gear S3 and an iPhone at the same time.
The App Store description still lists what it manages: connecting and disconnecting, application download and settings, and Find My Watch. That description has not changed in years.
What Happened
Samsung turned inward. As the company moved its watches from Tizen to Wear OS and tied them to Galaxy phones, the cross-platform ambition went with it. Samsung's own support documentation now states plainly that its Wear OS watches are not compatible with iOS devices, because they depend on Google Play services.
The iPhone app was left where it stood. Its last update was 18 February 2022, and the release note for that version reads, in full, general bug fixing and improved stability. No feature work, no new watches, no response to four years of iOS releases since.
It was never extended to Wear OS. The newest watch it has ever supported is the Galaxy Watch3, from 2020.
Why It Leaves You Stuck on the Home Screen
Install it today and you get a home screen that assumes a connection already exists. There is no onboarding, no explanation of which watches it covers, and nothing telling you that your Galaxy Watch 6 is not one of them. You are left tapping around looking for a pairing flow that will never find your watch.
The App Store reviews describe the same thing from the Tizen side: the app will not connect over Bluetooth, or connects for a few seconds and drops. Samsung replied to a lot of those reviews asking people to report the problem through its support channel. Then the updates stopped.
On the rating. The listing shows a lifetime average built from around sixteen thousand ratings going back to 2016, when the app worked and was maintained. It is not a snapshot of the app today. Read the reviews rather than the number, and note the date on each one.
Gear S App vs. Lynio
| Feature | Lynio | Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) |
|---|---|---|
| Watches supported | Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, plus other Wear OS watches | Gear S2 to Galaxy Watch3 only, all Tizen |
| Last updated | Actively developed, shipping regularly | 18 February 2022 |
| Cost | Paid | No charge |
| Notifications on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| Take and make calls | Yes | No |
| Control music playback | Yes | No |
| Watch battery level on the phone | Yes | Yes |
| Do Not Disturb | Yes | Yes |
| Find my watch | Yes | Yes |
| Find my phone from the watch | Yes | No |
| Workouts and health to Apple Health | Calories, sleep score and more | Limited |
| Install other watch apps from the iPhone | No, only Lynio Watch itself | Yes, through Samsung's store |
| Set sound mode and ringtone | No | Yes |
| Samsung account, Bixby and backup | Not needed | Required |
| Still gaining features | Yes | No |
What Lynio Does Not Do
Two things Samsung's app did that Lynio does not, and it is worth being straight about both.
You cannot install other watch apps from your iPhone. Lynio installs Lynio Watch onto the watch and that is the extent of it. Samsung's app could push apps from its own store onto a Gear S3.
You cannot set sound mode or ringtone from the phone. Samsung had the advantage of building both halves. Lynio is bridging two operating systems that were not designed to talk to each other, and iOS restricts what any third-party app can reach.
That is the honest shape of the tradeoff. A first-party app on a platform the manufacturer controls will always reach further than a bridge between two platforms neither party wants bridged.
What Lynio Is Still Adding
The difference that matters over time is not today's feature list, it is whether anyone is still working on it.
Samsung's app has had no feature work since February 2022. Lynio ships regularly, and watch faces and maps displayed on the watch are both in active development. Reported bugs and requested features are tracked in the open on Featurely at featurely.carpediemcreations.io, so you can see what is shipped and what is being worked on rather than guessing.
On the cost. Lynio is paid, and that is the reason it is still being built. The Gear S app is available at no charge and has not changed in over four years. One of those is a finished product, the other is funded work in progress.
The Bottom Line
If you have a Galaxy Watch 4 or newer, install Lynio. Samsung never built an iPhone app for these watches, so there is no first-party option to compare against. The Gear S app appearing in your search results is a naming accident, not an alternative.
If you have a Gear S2, Gear S3, Gear Sport, or a Tizen-era Galaxy Watch, the Gear S app remains the only app that pairs with it, and it still functions for what it always did. It is not gaining anything and Samsung is not fixing it, but it has not been withdrawn.
If you are choosing a watch now, the practical read is that a current Galaxy Watch plus Lynio gets you notifications, calls, music, Apple Health and a connection that is still being improved, which is more than a Tizen watch on an abandoned app will ever give you again.
References
- Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) in App Store: source for the supported legacy models and the February 2022 last-update date
- Samsung Galaxy Watch (Gear S) App Store Ratings and Reviews: source for reviewer reports of Bluetooth connection failures and Samsung's developer responses
- Samsung: Galaxy Smartwatch and Phone Compatibility
- Lynio on the Apple App Store: source for the iOS 17.6 minimum and "any Wear OS 3.0+ smartwatch"
Frequently Asked Questions
I installed the Samsung Galaxy Watch app and nothing happens. What is wrong?
Most likely nothing is wrong with the app, it just does not cover your watch. It supports Gear S2 through Galaxy Watch3 only. If you have a Galaxy Watch 4 or newer, it will never find your watch no matter what you tap. Use Lynio instead.
Does the Gear S app work with the Galaxy Watch 6?
No. The newest watch it has ever supported is the Galaxy Watch3 from 2020. Samsung moved to Wear OS with the Watch 4 and never extended this app to cover it.
Is Samsung going to update the app?
There is no sign of it. The last update was February 2022 and Samsung's documentation now states its Wear OS watches are not compatible with iOS at all.
Why pay for Lynio when Samsung's app costs nothing?
Because they do not connect the same watches. For a Galaxy Watch 4 or newer there is no Samsung app to choose instead. The cost is also what pays for the work that is still going in, including watch faces and maps on the watch.
Do I need a Samsung account or Bixby with Lynio?
No. Lynio does not use a Samsung account, Samsung's backup, or Bixby. You install the app on the iPhone, install Lynio Watch on the watch, and pair them.