Today Samsung announced that owners of the original Galaxy Gear residing in the United States now have the option to upgrade their device’s operating system from Android to Tizen via the Kies desktop update assistant. This announcement comes just two months after European residents received the resources to upgrade their units.

There are many reasons why this new software is better suited to the Gear as opposed to the adaptation of Android, which Samsung initially created back in 2013. Firstly, the Tizen operating system has a customizable interface so users can change their background, font and the overall menu layout. There’s also a music player, sleep tracker, exercise assistant as well as support for third-party applications.

In order to install the update, you will need to have the latest version of Samsung Kies installed on your PC or Mac. Ensure that your battery is fully charged and then plug your Gear into the computer. An active window will appear informing you that there’s an update available. Click the Download and Install button. After about twenty minutes Tizen will be installed on your smatchwatch, and you’re good to go.

It is important to note, though, that the transition from Android to Tizen will remove any personal data from your Gear — so it’s imperative you perform an entire backup prior to the installation. Then, once the process is complete you can restore all of your private information back onto the device.

If you run into any issues along the way, do be sure to let us know in the comments section below, and we’ll do our very best to get you back on track.

• SourceSamsung