Gboard is still broken in some Wear OS 4 apps on Galaxy Watch devices 5 months later with no fix in sight (workaround inside)

Some Wear OS 4 users have been facing a frustrating bug for months now, with Gboard, their preferred keyboard app, malfunctioning in specific apps. The issue, first reported in September 2023 after the release of Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, has since spread to the Watch 5 and Watch 4 after their Wear OS 4 updates.

The problem? When Gboard is set as the default keyboard, the screen goes blank, or black for that matter, when users attempt to type in specific apps like Google Keep, Todoist, Samsung Reminders, and more. This effectively renders Gboard unusable in those situations, leaving users with a clunky workaround: switching back to the default Samsung keyboard.

Despite ongoing reports and user frustration, neither Google nor Samsung has officially acknowledged the issue, let alone offered a fix. This silence adds insult to injury for users who rely on Gboard’s intuitiveness and features on their smartwatches. Indeed, I can confirm that Gboard is still not working to date on our Galaxy Watch 4 running the latest Wear OS 4, which is sad considering the magnitude of the companies involved. Below is a video from our Imgur account showing the current state of Gboard on Wear OS 4 devices.

The lack of communication and action has understandably sparked user anger and disappointment. Those affected feel ignored and frustrated, with the only solution currently being a subpar alternative. While the Samsung keyboard works without issue, some claim it doesn’t offer the same features or ease of use that Gboard does. This leaves them in a difficult situation, forced to choose between functionality and convenience. Interestingly, one user recently switched to a Pixel Watch 2 because of this issue, suggesting it may only be present on Samsung watches.

With no official word from either tech giant, it’s unknown when Gboard will start working normally again on Wear OS 4 devices. But we can only hope that Google and Samsung will finally take notice and address this persistent bug and fix it once and for all so that users can have their preferred keyboard app.