Samsung made a hand washing app for Galaxy Watch owners

Chances are you’re washing your hands more than ever before right now, but if you like the validating assurance of technology to make sure you’re doing it right, Samsung’s got the app for you. Designed for its range of wearable Gears and Watches, the Hand Wash app reminds users to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day. The company cites a 2020 study by University College London, which claims six to 10 times a day is optimum — plus after-toilet visits and before eating.

The alarm will sound every two hours or so (you can add or modify the timings as you see fit) and once you’re at a sink, swiping the device will start a 25-second counter — five seconds for applying soap and 20 for scrubbing. Since all Galaxy Watches are waterproof, you won’t need to take your device off, either. It also comes with a bunch of data and tracking functions, too, so you can review your daily handwashing activity and get a weekly average.

Washing your hands is pretty basic everyday activity, but it’s one that can have a significant impact on your health — much like the simple act of standing up throughout the day, which Apple designed a similar reminder function for back in 2014. And like taking regular standing breaks, hand-washing is the sort of thing that can slip to the back of your mind, especially if you’re busy. So while on the face of it Samsung’s app might seem a bit pointless, it does actually have the ability to help form a positive habit — one that is more important right now than ever.