Galaxy Watch users on One UI 6 can't disable Samsung Health goal notifications

Update 13/08/24: According to a Samsung forum mod, this is an intended change by Google. But they are in discussion to find ways to address the notification.

Original article follows:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra users are reporting that they can’t disable Samsung Health goal notifications. This is a major issue for many users, as it means that they are constantly bombarded with notifications that they don’t want. The issue seems to be affecting other Galaxy Watch users in the One UI 6 beta program as well, but the good thing is that Samsung is aware of the issue and is working on a fix.

Reports are mainly coming from owners of Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra models, suggesting it’s a One UI 6 issue. It seems these sleek new wearables are more than a little too enthusiastic about fitness, sending out relentless health goal notifications that can’t be turned off. Users have flooded forums with complaints, forcing a forum moderator in the US Samsung forum to come out and acknowledge the bug.

The fact that users have been able to turn these notifications off in the past is fueling further frustration. However, the issue also affects older watches on One UI 6 beta. From daily pep talks like “You’ve set activity goals. Is today your day to meet them?” to constant nudges about sleep and fitness achievements, these notifications have become the wearable equivalent of an overly persistent gym coach.

Users report that despite toggling off notifications in every conceivable setting — both on the watch and through the Wear app on their phones — the reminders keep coming. “I turned them off for Google Fit but can’t turn it off for Samsung Health on the watch,” one exasperated user noted. Many are convinced it’s a bug in One UI 6, given that previous One UI 5 allowed for these notifications to be disabled. One user lamented, “If they disabled turning off notifications for that, I’m gonna be REALLY annoyed because I hate it.”

In response to the uproar, a forum moderator for the One UI Beta Team stepped in to calm the storm. According to the moderator, Samsung is well aware of the issue and is in active communication with developers to determine whether this is an intentional design choice or a pesky bug that needs squashing.

Here’s the full statement:

The moderator also noted that the issue is widespread, affecting users not only in the U.S. but also in Korea, where the beta program is also active. Samsung has promised to deliver a solution as soon as possible and apologized for the inconvenience.

While it’s unclear when a fix will come, the acknowledgment from Samsung suggests that relief might be on the way for those plagued by incessant health reminders. Until then, some users have resorted to extreme measures like maxing out their activity goals to avoid the notifications, but this is hardly a sustainable solution.