If you are a proud owner of a Galaxy Watch 4, you might have noticed that while apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger can be used on the watch, they are not standalone apps. This means that if you need a particular standalone app, you might be out of luck. However, the good news is that you can install third-party apps on your Galaxy Watch 4.
You might be wondering why third-party apps are necessary as opposed to downloading apps from the Play Store. The reason is simple – Wear OS is based on Android, but not entirely the same. Searching for an app like Instagram on the Play Store won’t fetch you any results on the Galaxy Watch 4, as developers haven’t optimized their apps for the watch. Only certain apps that have been made for the watch will show up.
So let’s get started with the tutorial to enable third-party app installation on the Galaxy Watch 4. First, open the settings on your watch and scroll to the bottom. Tap on the “About watch” option and look for the “Software” option. Tap on the software version continuously five times. Doing this will give you access to hidden developer settings.
Now go back to the settings and you will find the new developer option. Tap on it. Look for “ADB debugging” and enable it. This will prompt you to confirm whether or not you want to enable ADB debugging. Next, enable “Debug over Wi-Fi” option.
Open your Android device and install “Easy Fire Tools” from the Play Store. Once installed, open the app and then open the settings option using the hamburger icon. Under “Connection settings,” tap on the IP address. Now open your watch and see the IP address written under the “Debug over Wi-Fi” option. Write the same address on the app and tap on “OK.” This should start pairing your phone to the watch. If not, tap the icon on the corner to connect the phone manually to the watch.
You will get a prompt on the screen asking you to authorize the connection to the watch. Give permission on the watch by tapping “OK.” You can also select “Always Allow from this device” if you are planning to do this again and again. Once you have granted permission on the app, go to the “Custom APK file” section. Here, tap on the “Select file” option and you can install the APK file that you have downloaded from the third-party app store. Once you have selected the file, tap on “Install.” This will start transferring the APK file onto your watch for installation and then install it automatically.
As you can see, you can now use Instagram on the Galaxy Watch 4. To download APK files, we recommend APK Mirror as it is a safe source for downloading apps outside the Play Store.
Which apps do you plan on installing? Do tell us in the comment section down below. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for various enjoyable reels and informative posts.