Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra do not support wireless power sharing or old chargers

Samsung’s newest Galaxy Watch7 series can’t be charged wirelessly from your phone anymore. This used to be possible with older Galaxy Watches thanks to a feature called “Wireless PowerShare.”

This feature lets your phone act like a wireless charging pad for your watch, which is great for emergencies, but it only works well with other Samsung devices.

Even older charging pads you might have won’t work perfectly. The new charger that comes with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra is the only one that will charge them as quickly as possible. Older chargers might still work, but it’ll take longer and the watch might feel warm while charging.

Here’s the official FAQ:

Q. The Wireless power sharing feature is not working on the Galaxy Watch7 / Watch7 Ultra.

A. The Galaxy Watch7 series has a new rear sensor design to improve sensor accuracy over previous models. As a result, it is possible to assess health-related data points that were not previously supported as well as take more reliable measurements during prolonged or specialized exercises.

However, the new sensor design required changing the shape of the back glass. The alteration increased the distance between the internal wireless charging coil of your Watch and the wireless charger, so the Wireless power sharing feature available on the previous model is no longer supported.

Q. When I charge my Galaxy Watch7 / Watch7 Ultra with my old wireless charger, the charging speed is slow.

A. The Galaxy Watch7 series has a new rear sensor design to improve sensor accuracy over previous models. As a result, it is possible to assess health-related data points that were not previously supported as well as take more reliable measurements during prolonged or specialized exercise.

However, the new sensor design required changing the shape of the back glass. The alteration increased the distance between the internal wireless charging coil of your Watch and the wireless charger, which may result in slower charging and higher heat generation.

To experience faster charging times, we recommend using the included wireless charger for the Galaxy Watch7 series (EP-OL300).