Unknown source of hourly alerts on apple watch

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Level 1

8 points

Unknown source of hourly alerts on apple watch

My Apple Watch 3 beeps every hour. I have looked at all the notifications and turned most of them off, and set others to no sound, but the watch still beeps. I use an iPhone 6 and both watch and phone are up-to-date on their OS. I just can't find the cause of the alerts. There is no notification that comes with the alert, so there is no clue to the source. Any ideas of what may be causing it? Any way to locate it (without turning off ALL my apps, and then turning each one back on one-by-one)? I must be overlooking something, but I don't have reminders set up, and I have searched every app to see any possibility with no luck. I have nothing set up in "Clock". Could it be hidden somewhere? Thanks for any suggestions for how I might locate it without going to too much trouble.

Apple Watch

Posted on Aug 29, 2019 6:39 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,279 points

Aug 30, 2019 1:56 PM in response to wayharvey

You're welcome. It is interesting that the source only appeared to be your watch. Hard to say what it may have been, and like you, I'll take the lack of the sound any longer as a positive outcome.

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Answer 2

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,279 points

Aug 29, 2019 6:43 PM in response to wayharvey

When you say that it beeps every hour, does this occur exactly at the top of the hour? If you try unlocking your iPhone just before this would happen and keep the iPhone unlocked, does the Watch still beep, or does something happen on the iPhone?

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Answer 3

wayharvey Author

Level 1

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Aug 29, 2019 6:46 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

Thanks for the helpful question, Chris. Part of the challenge is I do have to wait an entire hour to try something new, as it only does this at the top of each hour. And I have other things to do during my day! :) But I had not yet tried to unlock the iPhone just before the hour, so that could be a useful experiment.

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Answer 4

ChrisJ4203

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236,279 points

Aug 29, 2019 6:54 PM in response to wayharvey

Unfortunately, I understand it can be difficult to troubleshoot things that only occur at certain times. Unless you have an app on the Watch that would provide an hourly chime, there is nothing else that would automatically generate something like that. The only way to be sure what it is could be to start there, or to turn off all notifications on the Watch and then start by turning them back on one by one. And from the sound of it, you don't have the kind of time to do something like that. The alternative is to wipe the Watch, and then set it back up as a new device, not using your backup. Up to you on proceeding.

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Answer 5

wayharvey Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 29, 2019 7:07 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

So it just turned the top of the hour, and I had my iPhone unlocked and on the home screen. I got the usual alert on my watch, but absolutely nothing on my iPhone. Such a mystery. And I have nothing I can imagine that has an hourly chime tied to it! I know there has to be an explanation (de facto), but at the moment, I'd swear my watch is secretly just wanting to annoy me! So what kind of app would show nothing on the phone, have no notification, but have an hourly alert on the watch? I suspect the answer is something that results from something expecting an action or response somewhere and just alerts forever until it gets it. Just a guess. The funny thing is I saw a bunch of people online wanting to find an app that would ring their watch every hour! If I ever figure this out, I have a solution for them. :)

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Answer 6

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,279 points

Aug 30, 2019 12:24 PM in response to wayharvey

Do you use a notification for Standing or Breathing? I don't use those, so I cannot be sure, but I know that you can configure them to notify you about standing time, and using the breathing app for relaxation. Otherwise, I wouldn't really venture a guess.

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Answer 7

wayharvey Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 30, 2019 1:50 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

Yeah, I checked for those very things. But I don't use them. Thanks so much for trying to help out here with your thoughtful comments, Chris. Last night I installed the recent, new apple watch OS and I haven't notice the alerts today, so it might all be solved now. I am curious what may have caused it. But in the end, I'll take the lack of hourly beeping as a happy outcome. Hopefully it stays that way.

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Unknown source of hourly alerts on apple watch

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