I finally fixed my Galaxy Watch 8's broken sleep data by digging into Samsung's deepest menus
My Galaxy Watch 8 was useless at night until I changed this
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 had trouble recording sleep data after an October software update. Users experienced gaps in their sleep records or no recording at all. Despite suggestions to reboot the watch or clean the sensor glass, these fixes didn't solve the problem. After weeks of frustration, a combination of settings buried deep in the watch's menus finally worked.
The Galaxy Watch 8 uses photoplethysmography to read the body, which involves flashing light into the skin and measuring the reflection to calculate heart rate and blood oxygen levels. If the sensor cannot get a clean read, the software cannot function properly. Dark ink, tattoos, dense arm hair, and loose straps can all interfere with the sensor's ability to detect the wrist.
If the user is tattooed, wearing the watch on a different arm or moving it to an area without ink can help. Trimming a small patch of arm hair under the sensor can also make a noticeable difference. For restless sleepers, ensuring the watch is higher on the wrist and the band is snug can prevent gaps in the data. Power saving mode on the Galaxy Watch 8 can throttle the processor and background sync, and it may stop background heart rate tracking.
To ensure continuous tracking, users should turn off the "Limit health features" option in the battery settings. Background updates may revoke continuous sensor access for third-party apps and Samsung Health. To ensure the watch can track sleep, users should swipe up to the app drawer, open Settings, then Security and privacy, and under Sensors, set Samsung Health to "Allow all the time."
If permissions don't solve the problem, clearing the Samsung Health temporary files can help. To do this, go to Settings, then Apps, then Samsung Health, then Storage, and tap Clear Cache. If this doesn't solve the problem, backing up and performing a factory reset on the watch may be necessary. If the gaps persist after a reset, the hardware is likely the culprit.
Before returning the watch for repair, users should get an error report. Open Samsung Members on your phone, go to Support, then Send feedback, and Error reports, making sure to check "Send system log data." Samsung's October update added features to the sleep coaching, but all of it is useless if the data feeding it is missing hours.
Users should start by checking the fit and Power saving settings, as these are the easiest to rule out. If nights still come back patchy, they should then check the sensor permissions, which fixed the sleep data for many users.
Written by urgent.news from Android Police's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
