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Galaxy Watch Active

How to Use Third-Party Watch Faces on Galaxy Watch Active and Older Gear Watches

Samsung discontinued Tizen watch-app distribution, so new third-party faces may not install on Galaxy Watch Active or older Gear watches. Existing faces may keep working, and previously obtained ones may sometimes be recoverable.

By WatchRanker Team 7 min read
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Short answer: Galaxy Watch Active, Active2 and the Tizen-era Galaxy Watch and Gear models historically installed third-party faces through Galaxy Wearable and the Galaxy Store. But Samsung says distribution of Tizen watch apps has been discontinued. In 2026, an existing face may keep working and a previously obtained one may sometimes be recoverable, but you should not count on being able to install a new one.

Check which platform your watch uses

The installation method depends on the watch’s operating system, not just its name. Samsung’s Tizen compatibility list includes the models below. Its listing describes historical device compatibility; it does not mean new apps are still distributed.

Watch Platform and listed version range
Galaxy Watch Active Tizen 4.0
Galaxy Watch Active2 Tizen 4.0–5.5
Galaxy Watch Tizen 4.0
Galaxy Watch3 Tizen 5.5
Gear Sport Tizen 3.0–4.0
Gear S3 Tizen 2.3.2–4.0
Gear S2 Tizen 2.3.1–2.3.2

Source: Samsung’s Tizen device compatibility list. Versions can vary by model and software update. Gear Live is an older Android Wear-era device, not part of this standard Tizen installation path.

Check your watch’s software

  1. On the watch, open Settings.
  2. Open About watch or About device.
  3. Look for software or operating-system information. Menu wording varies by model and software version.

Galaxy Watch4 and newer use Wear OS; Samsung’s transition began with Galaxy Watch4. Those watches use the Wear OS/Google Play route instead. Samsung’s platform notice explains the transition.

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Why installing a new face may no longer work

Samsung’s Tizen compatibility page states that “Distribution of Tizen-based watch apps has been discontinued.” That includes the Tizen watches listed above. A Galaxy Store listing, old search result, or surviving menu is not proof that the face can still be purchased or installed.

A third-party face could historically be an independent face sold through Galaxy Store, a face supplied by a platform such as Facer, or a developer-built Tizen watch-face app. The key compatibility question is whether it was made for Tizen. A Wear OS face for Galaxy Watch4 or newer cannot simply be transferred to a Tizen watch, and a Tizen face is not a Wear OS installation.

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Historical Galaxy Store installation steps

Samsung’s support pages still document the earlier installation routes. They may work only if the relevant listing and distribution service remain available for your watch, account, and region.

From Galaxy Wearable

  1. Pair the watch with your phone in Galaxy Wearable. Phone-based installation requires a Bluetooth connection; store use also needs a stable network connection.
  2. Open Galaxy Wearable. On older models, open Discover, then choose Find more in the Galaxy Store.
  3. In Galaxy Store, open the Watch category and select a face that targets your Tizen model.
  4. Tap Install and wait for the transfer to the watch to finish.
  5. Choose the face from the watch-face list on the watch or in Galaxy Wearable.

The exact route varied by model. Samsung documented Watch faces → Get more watch faces for Galaxy Watch3 and Active2, and Watch faces → Discover → View more on the Watch faces card for Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active. See Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable installation guidance and watch-face download and customization guidance.

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Directly on the watch

If the watch still offers a store or more-faces option, touch and hold the current face, swipe to the add/store option, open Galaxy Store or More watch faces, select a face, then choose Install and Apply. This is a historical path, not a dependable workaround for discontinued Tizen distribution.

If you previously downloaded or bought a face

Recovery is worth trying if the face was already obtained, but it is not guaranteed. Samsung account, region, model, and whether the store still exposes the item can affect availability.

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  1. If the face or its companion app still works, leave it installed. Avoid resetting the watch or uninstalling the app unless necessary; either action may remove content that is difficult to restore.
  2. Sign in to the same Samsung account used for the original download or purchase.
  3. In Galaxy Wearable or Galaxy Store, look for the watch-face/app history or previously obtained content, if those sections remain available.
  4. Search for the exact face or developer name and try installing it only if it appears for your watch.
  5. If it is missing, contact the developer or platform support before considering any unofficial package. If you have reset the watch, treat restoration as uncertain.

Facer’s notice says existing Tizen installations may continue working and previously obtained copies may sometimes be recoverable, depending on circumstances. It does not make Facer a current new-install option: Facer’s Tizen support update, dated December 17, 2025.

Apply and customize an installed face

  1. Open Galaxy Wearable and tap Watch faces.
  2. Select the installed face.
  3. Tap Customize, if offered, and adjust the options the developer provides, such as colors, backgrounds, widgets, or shortcuts.
  4. Tap Save or Apply, if shown.

Not every third-party face has customization controls, and available options vary by face. Samsung notes that third-party faces may have their own instructions in its watch-face guide.

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Facer and other third-party face apps

Facer’s older model list includes Tizen watches, but that compatibility listing should be read alongside its later retirement notice. Facer says its Tizen app is no longer available for new download or installation and no longer receives Tizen updates, new faces, features, or fixes. Existing installations may continue to work, but new users should not rely on Facer to add faces to a Tizen watch.

Sources: Facer’s Tizen support update and Facer’s model compatibility list. The model list does not override the later notice that Tizen downloads have ended. Availability for other third-party platforms should be checked individually; do not assume that a current listing supports Tizen.

Why sideloading is not a simple replacement

Tizen watch faces are not ordinary Android APKs. Samsung’s developer documentation describes Tizen .tpk packages, signing certificates, registered devices, and developer tooling. It also describes separate historical builds for Galaxy Watch devices using Tizen 4.0 and later and older Gear devices using Tizen 3.0 and earlier.

That is a developer-testing workflow, not a supported consumer substitute for the discontinued store. A package may fail because it is for a different Tizen generation, is improperly signed, or no longer meets device or certificate requirements. Unofficial downloads also carry malware, privacy, and payment risks. Avoid random APK/TPK sites and do not expect a Wear OS APK to work on Tizen. See Samsung’s Tizen Studio FAQ.

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Troubleshoot missing faces or failed installs

The face does not appear

  • Check that the face was made for Tizen and for a compatible model or Tizen generation, not Wear OS.
  • Confirm the transfer to the watch completed; a phone-side listing alone does not mean it installed.
  • Check the face list on the watch, then reopen Galaxy Wearable. Restarting the phone and watch may help with a temporary connection problem.
  • Confirm the devices are paired over Bluetooth and that Galaxy Wearable is signed in to the Samsung account used to obtain the face.
  • If the face was never previously obtained and cannot be installed from the store, Tizen distribution may be the reason rather than a pairing fault.

The store or installation fails

  • The listing may have been withdrawn, or the face may target Wear OS or another Tizen generation.
  • A required companion app may no longer be available, or the watch may not have enough storage.
  • Account, region, or reset history may prevent restoration of a previously obtained item.
  • For a developer package, signing or certificate requirements may be the cause; this is different from a normal store installation.

A face worked before but disappeared, or Facer will not sync new faces

  • Check whether the watch was reset or the face or companion app was uninstalled, then check previously obtained content under the original Samsung account.
  • Contact the original developer if the item is no longer listed. Do not assume a current Play Store listing is compatible with the Tizen watch.
  • If Facer remains installed but cannot provide new faces, its ended Tizen support is a likely explanation; reinstalling or troubleshooting Bluetooth will not restore discontinued catalog support.

Which option makes sense for your situation?

Your situation Practical next step
A face is already installed and working Keep it installed; avoid an unnecessary reset or uninstall.
You previously obtained the face Try recovery with the original Samsung account, understanding that it may not be available.
You never downloaded the face Check the Galaxy Store for the exact Tizen listing, but do not assume a new installation is possible.
You want a large, current third-party catalog A supported Wear OS watch is the dependable route; Tizen purchases may not transfer.
You want to build a face yourself Use Tizen developer tools only as a technical project, with signing and device-registration requirements.
You found an unofficial APK or TPK Avoid it unless you can verify provenance and understand package compatibility, signing, and recovery risks.

Keeping the older watch avoids hardware cost and may preserve working faces, but new Tizen faces are not reliably available. Upgrading provides access to the current Wear OS face ecosystem, at the cost of new hardware and possible loss of direct access to Tizen purchases. Check phone compatibility before relying on a legacy watch: Samsung’s Korean support page warns that Gear S2, Gear S3, and Gear Sport may not support Samsung phones released from 2024 onward; that is region-specific guidance, not a universal compatibility rule. Samsung Korea’s compatibility notice.

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