Messages Notifications Not Working Intermittently on Apple Watch

Hello,

I have the Apple watch series 5 (watch os 6.2.1) and iphone 11 pro max (ios 13.4.1) and I have a quite similar problem as you have described. I get notified by my apple watch with a vibration for a incoming message, just the red notification dot in the always on display mode does not appear or appears very delayed. :-) Apple support told me to wait for the next watchos or ios update (next release date is uknown). I need to admit, for such a expansive equipment near 2000 Dollars, the quality and the support is very poor. I'm very disappointed. Or with other words, you are not alone. :-(

At the moment I do not wear my Apple watch, because in this state I'm better without the fully misleading notification Apple watch.

Best regards

David

Hi VtecJunkie, 

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. 

From your post, I see that you have an issue with receiving Messages Notifications on your Apple Watch. I want to help. Notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone, but not both. Learn when a notification might appear on your iPhone, instead of your Apple Watch, below. This article has more information about Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Hope that helps. 

Best Regards!

Hi to all I just ordered the Watch 6 and the Watch SE with cellular and GPS for my wife and I. I will tell you if I'm having the same problem with the new watches. Before ordering I spoke with Apple tech and asked him if the problem was fixed with the new watches and the new OS update for the watches. He had no clue if it was fixed. But he suggested that I go to https://www.apple.com/feedback/ to summit a feature request that both the phone and watch notify you of texts when they are connected together. He suggested that we all respond to the feedback and do it more than once.

If you also summit another feedback for the watch and for the iPhone of another feature I think is important it would be appreciated.

On both the phone and watch when you go to SOS emergency mode that you have the ability to activate a silent alarm incase of criminal activity. Like abduction, rape, kidnapping or home invasion. That way the criminal would not hear the phone or the watch wailing very loudly and counting down like it does in SOS mode now. That way the criminal doesn't take them and dispose or destroy them before the call is made.

By adding a display button to either double or triple tap or slide in SOS mode. It would also turn on the mike and turn off the speaker while telling 911 that criminal activity is happening. I suggested that the displays would look normal and only 911 could end the call as they can hear whats happening.

I strongly believe that it is a safety that we all need especially women and children.

Thanks and tell me if the update fixes your watch problem. Stay safe Brian

I have this problem too, what I have found is SMS messages are not consistently alerting on the Watch. To duplicate, I use gmail to send a text message to my phone (this happens with gmail, bank sms notifications, and some people using Androids). I see the visual notification, but no audio or haptic occurs. However, if I reset network settings it will work for a short while, then stops after a few hours. iMessages always come through, . This occurs if the phone is near and locked.

My "workaround" is to have the text icon on all my Apple Watch faces, so when I use the Watch I see the text. arg.

Hi I'm probably sure that you have done the following but maybe not. On your iPhone go to settings a then messages tap on that scroll down to text message forwarding and tap check that there are not any devices are allowed get messages. next back to messages and scroll down to filter unknown senders and make sure it is off. If you still are having a problem there is another thread that I am on because my watch intermittently will not notify me of text messages. I have been on the phone with Apple and she is scheduled to call me June 5 for update since we just got updates for phone and watch.

Greetings, all,

I've been having the EXACT same problem since just about the same time this thread was opened. I've tried everything mentioned here and in other threads, even re-pairing and setting up as a new watch. As the OP has experienced, things work for a small while, and then stop working shortly after.

One thing I haven't noticed in any of the threads was which cellular provider everyone is using? I'm starting to think that the cellular connection is the main culprit here, as powering off my phone completely prevents me from sending or receiving SMS messages, but I can receive and make phone calls, and also can send and receive iMessages through the LTE connection.

I happen to be on AT&T, and am wondering if anyone else on this thread is also leveraging the same provider? If so, maybe it's AT&T that has the issue on their end, which is impacting everyone exhibiting the problem. I'm probably going to give AT&T a call today to see if they're aware of a systemwide problem.

Outside of the above, would love to hear everyone's thoughts about this theory, as this sounding less and less like a software issue (especially with the recent updates not fixing anything).

Hope to hear back!

Cheers!

Thanks for the reply!

Just off the phone with AT&T. They turned off "NumberSync" and then turned it back on again. Obviously, this required a bunch of power cycles and then, trying to use the watch without the phone turned on.

Unfortunately, I still could not send or receive SMS messages with the phone is powered off. I fear until this issue is corrected, the missing haptic alerts (even when the phone is powered on) will not be corrected. AT&T opened up a trouble ticket, since they couldn't rectify the matter.

I'll keep the group updated around what they find, but my hunch is that there's some system or service malfunctioning on their end, and has been on the fritz for 6 - 8 weeks. With so many on quarantine, folks have been near their watch so frequently that they didn't notice. With this in mind, if they fix it for me, it might wind up being fixed for everyone with this exact same problem on AT&T.

To be continued...

Hi will your watch work with the phone's Bluetooth turned off. That should make both the watch and the phone ping when you get messages. My watch works fine as long as it is not connected to the iPhone. But if I turn my Bluetooth on and they hook up then at times when I have the watch and the phone with me neither will notify me of texts. Thats my problem I would just leave the Bluetooth off but I have heart problems and need the watch to upload heart rate to iPhone and when the iWatch 6 comes out then my heart rhythm as well.

I have AT&T too If your watch won't work right with your Phone turned off and your watch is got cell service. I would say the problem is in the watch. But I will bring up your problem when is speak with Apple on June 4th or 5th

Hi guys,

new update status: I made a appointment at the Genius Bar at my local Apple store, after the Apple support hotline could not help me at all with my problem. So now I had the chance to show my problem with the Apple Watch Series 5 and told the tech guy about my struggles with the Apple support hotline. The tech guy immediately saw and confirmed the problem. After I answered some questions and told told the tech guy, that I already tried it (even tried with my Apple Watch with another Iphone). The tech guy decided to send my Apple Watch to the repair center. Today I got a answer from the repair center: Problem could not be detected, Apple Watch 5 will be send back.

New update status will follow, as I will make right away a new appointment at the Genius Bar.

Well I was going to ask If the new update for the iPhone and watch worked but now I know my answer. Apple spoke with me on the phone and the first thing she asked did I update my watch and phone. My phone did but I had giving up on wearing the watch and did not know about the update because the Bluetooth was off. I told her I would update it and see if it works. I didn't watch back on charger Bluetooth off. I meant to ask if your's worked before responding to her email again. I kinda have forgot about it Because when the new iPhone and watch 6 comes out I am buying them. I need the watch for my heart problems and the 5G is out in my area. I can't believe they made the iPhone 11 that isn't 5G a month before we learned about 5G. I guess I'm a Apple sucker. Good luck let me know what happens. If you can record your meeting and if they don't fix it put it on U-tube

Hi Brian,

I wish you all the best for your health and I hope you get finally a working watch to support your health monitoring, which you definitely deserve! I already tried to turn off and on bluetooth, fly mode off and on, theatre mode on and off. Wifi off and on and so on, nothing helped so far.

My Apple watch came back this monday with a full software reset, as the supervisor told me. Unfortunately this did not solved the problem. So I called the Apple support again and now I'm working together with a supervisor only. I made a video and uploaded it, so the supervisor can see the described problem.

Long story short:

The supervisor did forward my problem to the developers in the headquarter. Till end of the week a answer is expected, I will keep you up to date as always.

Hi I have not contacted Apple about my watch. Would like to see what they do with your's. What I was saying with the bluetooth off both my phone and watch notify's me and the watch never misses a text. My Apple stores are still closed so talking on the phone is kinda of a waste. When and if they find out what is wrong with yours then they are going have to fix mine. I have to wait till the new watch6 and iPhone 12 comes out. Then I will buy them. I feel because what Apple has put us through, they should upgrade us both at no cost for both the phone and watch. The Fact Apple Touted all about the iPhone11 as the hottest smartphone ever knowing that 5G was coming out in just a few months is got me mad. 5G in Connecticut my area it is out. Now they are going to smack us with the iPhone12 is absurd. The trade in value won't be squat. Even the newer iPhone SE isn't 5G. The Watch6 is rumored to have pulse-ox in it is why I'm waiting for that. Please keep me informed and stay safe in this mess Good luck Brian

Hi Brain,

unfortunately not.

After waiting a week for a response from developers on the video, the response was they do not exactly understand the problem. So my supervisor did write again a fully description of the problem and I had to confirm it. After waiting another week the developers responded again, so this this time they wanna a video from me with the apple watch and iphone on it. So they can see that "always on" option is activated and that the apple watch and iphone are probably connected together. Today I did send them a full video of almost 4 Minutes where I did show everything I could. I guess it will take another week.

I mean I did already explained the problem several times to the apple hotline, I was already at the apple store and the tech guy confirmed the problem and my watch was already send to the apple repair center. The apple repair center did only confirmed that the hardware is ok and did send it back. Now I'm again stucked between the apple hotline and developers. Apple did yet not even once offered me to exchange my Apple Watch. I'm / we are stucked with this problem already for several months.

I will write again when I will have news which may help. At the moment I'm at the same state as my first post at this Thread was. :-(

I have this same problem. Always visually shows up on the watch, but sometimes (without any kinda obvious pattern) won't notify using haptic or sound. I've had Apple Watch for years now, this a recent issue maybe an update or two ago. I look forward to seeing what information you get back from the developers.