Smart & Connected Life > Smart Watches & Wearables How to Set Up Your Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch Customize your smartwatch to match your preferences By Jerri Ledford Jerri Ledford Writer, Editor, Fact Checker Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 11, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart Watches & Wearables Eco Tech Electric Vehicles Working From Home Headphones & Ear Buds Smart Home Smart Watches & Wearables Travel Tech Connected Car Tech iPods & MP3 Players What to Know Open the Samsung Gear app and select Start the Journey to connect your smartwatch to an Android device.To connect to headphones: Make sure Bluetooth is on, turn on your headset, then rotate the bezel on the S3 and select BT headset.To add apps, select the Plus (+) icon, then pick what you want to install. Your new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch is the perfect companion to your Samsung smartphone. It extends the capabilities of your phone, and it's a nice wardrobe accessory. In this article, we'll help you get started with your new Gear S3. Before you begin setting up your Samsung Gear S3, place it on the charging stand and allow it to fully charge. How to Set Up Your Samsung Gear S3 to Work With Your Smartphone Connect your Samsung Gear S3 to Any Android Smartphone Download and activate the Gear S3 app. If you’re using a Samsung phone, download the Gear app from your Galaxy Apps. For non-Samsung Android devices, go to the Google Play Store and download Samsung Gear. Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds to turn the Gear S3 on. The first time you power on your Gear S3, you’re prompted to connect it to your smartphone. On your smartphone, select Apps > Samsung Gear. If you’re prompted to update Samsung Gear, do that before you connect to your smartwatch. If there is no prompt, tap Start the Journey. On the Pick Your Gear screen, select your device. If the device isn’t listed, tap Mine’s not here. Then choose your device from the list that appears. Your smartphone will try to connect to your device. When the Bluetooth pairing request window is displayed on your Gear and your smartphone, tap the checkmark on the Gear and OK on the smartphone to continue. Agree to the Terms of Service, displayed on your smartphone, and click Next. On your smartphone, you’ll be prompted to set up your notifications and the apps you want to use on the smartwatch. When you’ve made your selections, tap Next to complete the setup on your smartphone. On your Gear S3, you’ll be prompted to walk through a tutorial that shows you the basic controls of the device. Once you’ve completed the tutorial, your setup is finished. Using Your Gear S3 With Your Smartphone rajivkumarprajapati123\Pixabay Using Your Gear S3 as a Phone For incoming calls, touch the green phone icon and swipe to the right to answer. Or touch the red phone icon and swipe to the left to decline the call. To decline the call and send preset text messages, swipe up from the bottom of the face and choose the appropriate response. These messages can be customized in the Samsung Gear App.To dial an outgoing call, either choose the name of the person you want to dial from Contacts, which should automatically sync with the contacts on your smartphone, or, tap the dial pad from within the phone app and enter the number manually. Connect Your Gear S3 to a Bluetooth Headset On the Apps screen, tap Settings.Scroll down and tap Connections.Tap Bluetooth to turn it on.Turn on your headphones.On the Gear S3, rotate the bezel and tap BT headset.When you see the name of the Bluetooth headset, tap it to pair it to the watch. If you don't see your headset, tap Scan on the Gear S3, and then tap the name of the headset when you see it scroll across the screen. Customizing Your Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch Jerri Ledford Once your device is all set up, you can customize the watch face and apps. Change Your Watch Face Settings Press the Home key on the side of the watch.Scroll through the apps by using the bezel of your phone or your finger until you find the Settings icon (looks like a gear). Tap the Settings icon.Select Style.Tap Watch faces.Scroll through the available faces to find one you like. When you find it, tap the face to activate it.If there isn’t a face that’s appealing, select Add Template at the end of the list of available faces to install more watch faces. You can also add more faces to your Samsung Gear S3 through the Gear app: tap View More Watch Faces under the Suggested Watch Faces section. You’ll be taken to a face gallery that includes both paid and free watch face options. Add or Delete Apps from Your Gear S3: Press the Home key on the side of your watch.Scroll through the apps by using the bezel of your phone or your finger. When you find an app you want to delete, press and hold the app for a second until a small minus sign appears on the icon. Tap the minus sign to remove the app.To add apps, scroll through the app wheel until you find the plus icon. Tap the plus icon. Scroll through the available apps to find the one you want to install.Tap the app to instantly install it on your phone. To add additional apps to your phone using the smartphone app, open the Gear app and scroll to Suggested Apps. Then tap View More Apps. You’ll be taken to the app gallery where you can download both free and paid apps. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit