Galaxy Watch 4 Notifications - Showing Clock Over Notification

[lschoen]

9/14/21 Update: after reviewing the feedback of many others, intermittently blurring the screen is clearly an intentional software function that has existed since the GW3 (but curiously, not on the GWA2). I am hoping the following feature request makes it to Samsung: please remove this feature and allow us to protect our own privacy through use of a combination of existing features: AOD, lift to wake, wake on notification, and individual notification control. Comment below if you agree. Thank you!

Original post:

Hi all,

Received my GW4 last week and have been using it every day. Curious issue: sometimes (but not every time) when a notification is received, I look at the watch and it quickly blurs the notification and displays a generic, digital clock over the top. I have to hit a button to go back to the notification. There doesn't seem to be any discernible pattern to when this happens-- happens in any app, any time; even happens for one Whatsapp message, then not for another message immediately following. I even tried a factory reset and am still seeing the issue. Anyone else seeing this?

Settings: screen always on-YES, wake for notification-YES, lift to wake-NO, screen timeout-30.

[Tigerman55]

Very real problem, cannot believe Samsung is overlooking this. Here is a fix that should work right now. Easy enough to set up with Wear Installer 2.

[mbinder]

@Tigerman55 that link goes to a site that Chrome does not trust. Also, the URL doesn't seem to indicate anything specific other than a generic downloads page. Is that the link you meant to share for your fix?

[Tigerman55]

The site doesn't have TLS, but there is no need to create an account via this website so it should be no issue.. The downloads have descriptions on how to set up and use each software. You can install an app called Digital Clock Overlay with Wear Installer 2 app on Google Play which allows you to fix the problem described in this thread.  You can scroll to WearOS software to see the available utilities on the freepoc site.

Until Samsung actually addresses the problem, installing a third party app is the only solution. The watch is practically unusable right now.

If you'd like me to give you a step by step on how to solve the problem using this software I'd be glad to do that!

[Daniellobothefirst]

Worth turning tap to wake on, to be able to tap the clock away

[Members_BHybNDX]

Samsung PLEASE remove this feature !!!!

[nitram777]

I think, Samsung isn't following this thread eventhough I've sent them the link.

Maybe it has more weight if everybody complains on the other Samsung contact possibilities. I've used the German form:

https://www.samsung.com/de/support/lobundkritik/

And I've added links to this thread, XDA and a German Android forum / thread to show that I'm not alone.

Samsung Customer Service answered that they will forward my complaint to the development department. But they can't promise that it'll be implemented in future updates.

But I guess, the more complaints Samsung Customer Service receives (and forwards to the devs) the higher the chance that Samsung hopefully gives us the possibility to disable the overlay clock.

Maybe someone from a major tech website writes an article about this "feature" to make this issue more visible to Samsung.

[FreddyMac]

This is by far the #1 largest usability problem in Android Wear and/or this watch.

[Chris134134]

It's an issue with Samsungs oneui. They say it's a feature lol

[torentmonkey]

They say it's a feature but given it's a stupid a22 feature I choose to . .. well I cant choose because there are no options. Have this issue on my watch 5 pro and by GOD PLESE GIVE US AN OPTION TO DISABLE OR GET RID OF IT. 

[mj-1]

Hi, a bit late to the party.  Had the same issue.

What should help via SammyFans is Settings >> Accessibility >> Visibility enhancements >> Remove animation >> Tap on the toggle to turn it off.

Report from SammyFans about this issue here:

https://www.sammyfans.com/2023/10/09/samsung-offers-temporary-solution-for-galaxy-watch-4-5-6-notifi...

Hope it helps! Cheers!

MJ

GW4 Classic I A 13 I Wear OS 4.0 I OneUi 5.0