Samsung was the first to launch a smartwatch based on the unified Tizen-Wear OS platform, the Galaxy Watch 4. While an impressive offering, it missed out on Google Assistant support, which was a major bummer for many. Almost a year after its release, Google Assistant is finally making its way to the Galaxy Watch 4.

However, you may want to avoid using the digital assistant on your smartwatch for now. Here's why.

Google Assistant on the Galaxy Watch 4 Is a Big Deal

Google Assistant coming to Samsung's smartwatch and Wear OS 3 is a big deal. Until now, Galaxy Watch 4 users had to rely on the Korean company's Bixby voice assistant, which is just not as smart as Google's offering and lacks support for many third-party apps and services.

The missing Assistant on the Galaxy Watch was a deal breaker for many. However, it is now finally being addressed. Despite that, you may want to consider holding out on using the voice assistant on your smartwatch as the experience is riddled with bugs.

Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic side by side
Image Credit: Samsung

The Google Assistant Experience on the Galaxy Watch 4 Is Filled With Bugs

Eager Galaxy Watch 4 users who have installed and set up Google Assistant on their watch have been running into various issues ever since, including excessive battery drain and disconnection issues.

Many Reddit users report their watch's battery life has taken a significant hit after setting up Assistant. This is likely due to the watch listening for the "Hey Google" keyword. The battery drain is seemingly so severe that the smartwatch is not even lasting through a working day for many users despite a full charge. In its testing, The Verge saw a 20% decline in battery life with Google Assistant.

Turning off voice detection seems to help in some cases, but a sure shot way to fix the issue is to disable Google Assistant for good.

Other users on r/GalaxyWatch4 report their Galaxy Watch 4 suddenly stopped pairing with their phone for no reason whatsoever. Trying to connect the devices again does not seem to work as well. Instead, they are forced to reset and set up their Galaxy Watch 4 from scratch again. This is frustrating as they will have to download all apps and customize the watch faces again.

Samsung and Google Should Resolve These Issues Soon

If you look past these issues, Google Assistant seems to work pretty well on the Galaxy Watch 4. It is just that these bugs spoil the entire experience. Samsung could address the battery drain and disconnection issues with a future update, but they haven't made any announcements yet.

Since the Watch 4 is the flagship Wear OS 3 smartwatch on the market right now, it is a matter of time before Google and Samsung address these issues. Until that happens, though, you may want to avoid using Google Assistant on your smartwatch, as the trade-offs are currently not worth it.