TL;DR Galaxy Watch Ultra’s exclusive watch faces (Simple Ultra and Ultra Analog) can now be unofficially installed on non-Ultra Galaxy Watch models via APK sideloading.
Recent One UI Watch versions had blocked the installation of these watch faces, but that limitation appears to have been removed recently. It’s unclear if this change would be permanent.
Users must enable developer mode on their Galaxy Watch and sideload the watch face APK via ADB. Don’t worry, we have detailed steps to guide you through the process.
Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic, and a refreshed Galaxy Watch Ultra. While the Galaxy Watch 8 series has gone all-in on the Watch Ultra’s squircle design, Samsung still keeps a few features exclusive to the Ultra, like their exclusive Simple Ultra and Ultra Analog watch faces. If you want to get them on your non-Ultra Galaxy Watch, you’re out of luck… until now, that is. You can now unofficially sideload the Ultra-exclusive watch faces onto older Galaxy Watches, so there’s one less reason to splurge on the Ultra.
Telegram user Rebirth57 has shared the APKs for the Ultra Analog and Simple Ultra watch faces, which Telegram user Dante63 (of the Samsung Health Mod fame) has highlighted and reshared. Reddit user SelfWeary1870 tried them out on their Galaxy Watch 7, and this is how they look:
Simple Ultra watch face on the Galaxy Watch 7 Simple Ultra watch face on the Galaxy Watch 7 - AOD screen
These watch faces have a unique feature that gives the watch hands, hour markers, and a few other UI elements a traditional watch-style photoluminescent glow-in-the-dark look, which you can see in the photos of the AOD screen above.
Ultra Analog watch face on the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra Analog watch face on the Galaxy Watch 7 - AOD screen
The Reddit user notes that users could previously sideload the Watch Ultra’s watch faces onto older Galaxy Watches like the Watch 6 Classic. However, One UI Watch 6 blocked this installation from taking effect, seemingly throwing a “Buildtype 3001” error at users. Consequently, even Galaxy Watch 7 users couldn’t sideload these two exclusive watch faces.
However, with the release of One UI 8 Watch/Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), this limitation appears to have been removed from the watch faces. Consequently, these watch faces can be installed on older Galaxy watches. It’s unclear if the One UI 8 Watch update on older watches will block the watch faces again, so make hay while the sun shines.
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