Yes, smartwatches are super convenient. Yet the touch operation can really get on your nerves with the screen not being sensitive enough while wearing gloves. Samsung has taken precautions with the Galaxy Watch 4 and implemented a special glove mode. The setting increases the touch sensitivity of the display.
Curiously, I stumbled across this tip for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 one day after the hottest day of the year so far. In preparation for winter—or if you wear gloves for sports like Crossfit or cycling—I didn’t want to deprive you of the Galaxy Watch 4 trick.
Deep down in the settings, you’ll find a somewhat hidden mode for using the Galaxy Watch 4 with gloves. During my short test, the accuracy of the touch display noticeably improved when using fabric gloves. However, the Watch 4 Classic still only recognized inputs via the bezel and the two buttons on the right side when wearing thick leather gloves—and not through the touchscreen.
How to operate the Galaxy Watch 4 with gloves on
To improve the display’s sensitivity, you first have to open the Galaxy Watch’s settings. Find the display settings and go all the way down. The second-last entry is called “Touch sensitivity”—activate it. Here again in screenshots and as a step-by-step list:
- Go to the settings of the Galaxy Watch 4 directly on the wrist.
- Switch to the display settings
- Activate the item “touch sensitivity”
Alternative:
- Head to the wearables app on your phone
- Now go to the display settings
- Select the “Touch sensitivity” entry here.
Although I have not yet been able to test it in practice, I guess that the battery life of the Galaxy Watch 4 should be a bit shorter in this mode. This is because Samsung technically has to increase the conductivity of the capacitive layer in the display for this. Therefore, it might make sense not to leave the mode enabled permanently—unless you like the more touch-sensitive display of Samsung’s smartwatch better.
Are you looking for a smartwatch that can also be used with thick gloves while mountain climbing or even with boxing gloves? Then check out our list of the best Garmin smartwatches. When designing its smartwatches, the manufacturer makes sure that even the models with a touch display can be operated completely via the “real” buttons.
Did you already know this feature of your Galaxy Watch 4 and what are your experiences with it? Let us know in the comments!
