IU8 ruined the Timer App

[Pasogent]

I had no desire to update to IU8, my watch did what I needed it to do. But you forced it on me, and my suspicions to 'not' update were correct. Now the timer app has been made much much worse. As soon as the screen dims, the timer minimizes to a stupid little icon. I have to move my wrist, turn the bezel, or tap on the screen to get the icon and text to display for a short while then it disappears again. What kind of design is this for a timer app? Lots of people, including myself, need to be able to glance at the timer without having to move/click anything.

The previous IU was fine, and now you guys wrecked it. Great job Samsung! Thx so much for IU8 which made my galaxy watch experience worse, not better.

[LongHiker]

@Pasogent You can correct this. 

1. Open settings on the watch
2. Click on Advanced features
3. Click on Now bar style
4. Click on Timer and change it to "Icon with text"

[nullandvoid]

Alternatively to what @LongHiker mentioned, you can also select a customizable watch face with complications and make the timer one of the complications.  Your timer will be visible when your watch goes on and count down in the complication.  There are plenty of customizable watch faces, you surely can find one you like.

The one below, as an example,  has many complication fields, and you can add the timer to any one of them.

[Pasogent]

While I appreciate your help, I have a watch face that I've liked and used  the last 3 years and changing it to another one just because the timer got wrecked on IU8 isn't the best solution for me at least.

And I'm not alone in feeling this way. I've found countless other people who are displeased with the changes made to the timer app. I do hope Samsung will consider changing this in the future because having a timer where the numbers hide after a relatively short while is pretty illogical.

[nullandvoid]

As @LongHiker said, just change the appearance of the now bar to icon and text an then the countdown will appear across the bottom of your screen when the timer is running. Oh, and the timer did not get wrecked - it's just different.

[Pasogent]

That was one of the first things I tried but what still happens is as soon as my phone dims it only shows the icon. If I wake my watch, the icon and text will show. But then it dims again and the text disappears. There is no way to keep the numbers on my screen and that is what's frustrating.

[nullandvoid]

Even with the old style, the screen did not stay on. It timed out and I had to tap it to see how much time wa left. It's no different now.

[Pasogent]

If you had 'always on display' the timer would dim and the wheel changed from blue to grey. But it would stay on for an hour or as long as the timer was still going. 

[nullandvoid]

Guess that's it, then. I never use AOD. 

[Mo-Mc]

I absolutely Dislike this new update. I have galaxy watch 6. After the update, my watch stopped tracking my sleep accurately. Now my sleep score only shows me sleep in two or three hours.