How do I add my shopping list to my Galaxy Watch (from my Note 9)?

[Android Central Question]

I just got both the Note 9 and the new Galaxy watch and I want to add my shopping list to my watch, anyone have some easy instructions?

DM

 

[11B1P]

You'll need an app from the Galaxy Wear store that would sync with an app on your phone.

 

[sonnnet]

Galaxy Watch best supports Samsung Reminders. I use Wunderlist for groceries on my Note 9. When I'm going shopping, I use the 'Send' option from my Wunderlist grocery list and choose Samsung Reminder. This sends the whole list as a single reminder which for me is convenient. I also then pin it to my phone's AOD for easy reference. The single reminder will show on the Galaxy Watch Reminder app and if I tap in, I'll see the items.

 

[sonnnet]

Alternatively, just set up your shopping list on your Note9 using the Samsung 'reminder' app. Then, on your watch, just open up the reminder app. Everything will sync. I also have Reminder as my first widget on the watch. So a single clockwise bezel click from the watchface shows me my reminders.

 

[11B1P]

Alternatively, just set up your shopping list on your Note9 using the Samsung 'reminder' app. Then, on your watch, just open up the reminder app. Everything will sync. I also have Reminder as my first widget on the watch. So a single clockwise bezel click from the watchface shows me my reminders.

Is the "reminder" app on the Note 9, exclusive to the Note line? I have an S7 and don't see a Samsung Reminder app, nor is one installed on my phone.

 

[sonnnet]

I'm not sure, but I've just checked the Galaxy App store and it shows up there for me if I search for Reminder.
Give that a go.

 

[11B1P]

I did, before I asked. I don't see a Samsung Reminder app.

 

[sonnnet]

Oh, that's a shame. Must be for newer phones only. It's a pretty basic app which I probably wouldn't use, except for the watch integration.

 

[sonnnet]

Or, but use at your own risk...

https://www.apkmirror.com/?post_type=app_release&searchtype=apk&s=Samsung+reminder

 

[sonnnet]

The version on my Note9 is, for your reference:

1.4.04.5001

 

[JWhales]

I did, before I asked. I don't see a Samsung Reminder app.

Search in the Galaxy Apps to see if you can find it. It was not installed on my Note 8 either. But when I searched, it says it's already installed and I was able to activate it in the Gallaxy Apps (use the ==>).

 

[11B1P]

Yeah..the search function is the easiest way to search for apps. It must be exclusive to the Note line.

 

[sonnnet]

Did you check out the APK mirror link I posted above?

 

[11B1P]

Did you check out the APK mirror link I posted above?

Yes, but this is my only phone and I'd rather not risk jacking up my phone for an app.

 

[sonnnet]

Yep. On balance, probably not worth the risk.

 

[Luke Barker]

I've found that the Reminder app is accessible by going into Calendar -> Burger Menu -> Reminder or if you have the Edge screen on your phone its one of the default Edge panels. Once you go into the Reminders app from one of these routes you can make it available in the apps finder / home screen. It is silly that the app isn't already in the apps finder.

I tried adding a reminder and seeing if it synced to my Galaxy Watch and initially I thought it wasn't working and that they must be separate apps but eventually the reminder I added on my phone did appear so it must just take a while to sync.

I do thing Samsung's syncing and integration isn't as good as Apple's ecosystem. Although it is probably the best outside of Apple. I can get my phone calls, contacts, messages, emails, calendar events, Spotify and more synced between my phone (Note9) and Galaxy Watch.

Hopefully all of these things will also sync to my tablet (Tab S4) once Call & Message Continuity is rolled out to the UK and the Tab S4 (currently only available in the US on certain networks, and only for the Tab S5e this feature allows calls and messages to be synced between a phone and tablet and allows them to be made using the phone's number, so you don't have the confusion of a different phone number for the tablet and having to manually sync call history and messages as is the case currently for the 4G Tab S4. I don't even bother with calls & messages on my Tab S4 because of the extra hassle and only use the 4G connection for data and having it down as an emergency phone number for family).

The Reminder app for Samsung phones does have some nice features like being able to trigger a reminder at a certain location, to attach an image to a reminder, and to have a sub-list of tasks to check off. Also you can create a reminder handsfree with Bixby.

However I much prefer the way the Tasks feature of Google Calendar works. I use the Business Calendar app on my Note9 which shows me my calendar and tasks, and I can have separate calendars with different names and colours, plus different tasks lists with different names and colours all under one Google account. It's also handy being able to view events and tasks separately or in one Agenda view. However there's no easy way of syncing tasks from a Google calendar to the Galaxy Watch. There used to be an app for it which is no longer available. The only other way I can see is to use the Wearable Widgets app for Galaxy Watch that allows phone widgets to be displayed on the watch. Choose a task list widget like the one Business Calendar provides and it will display all the tasks but you can't tap on it to see more information, only check it off. So the Reminders widget already built into Galaxy Watch is better setup for viewing and adding reminders/tasks.

So I imagine I will use both the Samsung Reminders and the Tasks feature of my Google calendar depending on what I want to do. If I need a more complex description or categorisation and need it to appear in my Agenda view I will add a task to my calendar. Or for a simple reminder or something like a shopping list, or when I want to add an image (can't do this with Google calendar tasks) or have a reminder triggered by a location I will use Samsung Reminder - the only categorisation with Samsung Reminder is to choose a colour, you can't name a category/task list.

Ideally Samsung Reminder would sync with Google calendar to have the best of both, Samsung could keep their unique features of location triggering and adding an image but they would have to add support for named categories. There is an option in Reminder settings to add tasks from a calendar but this doesn't seem to do anything, even though I have added my Google Account calendar in Samsung's own calendar app. I tried adding a task to my 'Local list' in the Business Calendar app (there is no option to add a task in Samsung's calendar app, it just says that Reminder is the replacement for tasks) but even having a task stored locally would not make a difference trying the add tasks from calendar option in Reminder. It just says there are no tasks to add. I'm guessing this option is to import tasks that may have been created by the user in Samsung's calendar app before Reminder replaced tasks. So until Samsung decide to allow tasks to be synced to a Google calendar I will just use both as I don't want to lose the ability to see all my tasks in the Agenda view, this is a really nice feature. Plus knowing that whenever I login to Google calendar, even on the web app, or if I'm using an app that supports Google calendar task syncing I will always be able to see my tasks whereas Samsung Reminder is locked into Samsung's more closed ecosystem.