Your Samsung Galaxy Watch is getting 3 new apps — what you need to know

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Samsung Galaxy Watch owners will be able to take advantage of three new apps on their device later this summer following an update from Samsung. Once the update lands, Galaxy Watch wearers will be able to use WhatsApp, Samsung Wallet and Thermo Check from their wrist.

Samsung Wallet, which combined Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass last year to consolidate mobile payments and IDs, will now come to the new Galaxy Watch series. The all-in-one Samsung Wallet app will allow users to easily make payments, provide identification, and access tickets directly on their smartwatch.

Thanks to Samsung's new Skin Temperature API, users can take advantage of the Galaxy Watch's advanced infrared technology for temperature measurements. The new Thermo Check app lets users easily check the temperature of food or water without physical contact. 

In another expansion of the Wear OS platform, Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch4 users can now use the first-ever WhatsApp smartwatch app. It will allow them to continue conversations, reply by voice, and answer calls without needing their phone.

The three new apps will first be available on upcoming Galaxy Watch devices before expanding to the Galaxy Watch 5 series later this summer, with more to be announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26.

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Elliot Mulley-Goodbarne
Phones Writer

Elliot MulleyGoodbarne is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide covering news, reviews, buying guides with wit and charm. He has had a keen interest in mobile, tablets, laptops, and everything in between since his first phone, the Samsung U600. Starting at Mobile News, Elliot has been writing about mobile and the business of technology since 2016, and has edited four trade magazines in that time, attending award shows for three of them. He has attended a range of industry events including 5G launches, device announcements, and trade events, where he developed a nose for picking up on trends, interviewing executives, and networking with the tech community. In his spare time, Elliot can usually be found watching, playing, or attending sporting events. With season tickets to West Ham United and Surrey County Cricket Club he often spends weekends in winter in a foul mood and evenings in the summer with a smile on his face. Outside of sport Elliot enjoys cooking, pubs next to rivers, and chilling out with a G&T, Whiskey, or Port after a solid week of excellence.