Apple Watch Series 6 not ringing on incoming calls

Same issue. iPhone 12 Pro Max and just picked up a Watch 6 and noticed no phone call notifications on watch when my phone would ring. Just recently updated to 7.1, don't remember the issue before that but have only had this watch for a little over a week. Quick Google search brought me here as many others. We have two cars with "wired" carplay not wireless but same issue. Reboot phone and works fine until next carplay use. I have found no specific way of disconnecting the phone first from carplay to resolve. Must reboot phone for now. Will add to the Apple bug report.

I don’t know if it is a coincidence but I turned off the wifi from my phone (when connected to carplay) then turned off and locked my car, then I go home and called myself from wifes phone and watch ringed. I will try it next time, can you try it also? Hope it works all the time, it is better than restarting the phone until Apple fixes it.

That worked a little better for me. The watch didn’t ring but I was notified that I missed a call. It used my cell number instead of my Apple ID on an incoming call for the first time. Thanks for the tip!

I did a little more testing. When turning off WiFi when in CarPlay and turning off the car, my watch will get missed call notifications only when on my home WiFi. So, basically when I’m on just cellular service without my phone nearby, regular calls using my cell number (not Apple ID) won’t ring in or notify me that there’s a call. The solution is closer but still doesn’t let me use my watch without carrying my phone everywhere

Well go figure. I submitted my issue through the Apple Feedback page and I tested disconnecting Carplay last night and when I drove to work this morning. I have called multiple times from my wife's phone and from my work phone and my watch rings just fine. I did pull the lighting cable from my phone before I shutoff the vehicle this morning but not last night and it still worked. The only change I made yesterday was the previous suggestion of iPhone > Watch app > Phone > changed Mirror my iPhone to Custom and check Allow Notifications. I will keep testing but so far today it is working.

My best way to get cell phone calls on my watch series 6 is to keep my phone on, turn Bluetooth off and try to notice the red dot for notifications at the top of my watch for missing calls. The missing phone calls don’t pop up so if I’m not near my phone, this is the only way I can see incoming calls. It’s subtle

This is exactly what happened to my watch 6, I never thought it was due to the CarPlay. I have to re-start the phone to get the watch to ring every time when I use CarPlay. Anyone has solution to this?

I agree, I have gone through every troubleshooting step I know of. Yesterday I took our other car with wired CarPlay to work. Tested phone and Watch didn't show any call notification. Rebooted phone, worked fine all day. Just got to work today, drove same car, used wired CarPlay all the way in, disconnected same way, made a test call and it rang fine. I haven't rebooted or done anything to my phone since yesterday morning to get it working. I've had it ring by just turning off Wi-Fi on my watch one day and do the same the next and nothing. As everyone else has stated the only "consistent" way to temp fix is to reboot your phone after every CarPlay disconnect. Unacceptable but it appears we are at the mercy of Apple to acknowledge this issue and fix it.

Sounds like everyone is basically having the same issue. I’ve tested many scenarios since my original post and have come up with no “real” fix. I guess I’ll return the darn thing until it either gets fixed in a patch or until the 7 comes out and has a fix. Kinda defeats half the purpose of having one. Good thing is, Apple is usually really good about putting out patches for things like this. Waaaaaayyyyy better than android phones 😉

Anyone have a watch where you never get calls through the watch when on cell service and the phone is not connected? Mine never can get calls on cell even when rebooting and trying all of the methods posted. My CarPlay is on a BMW and I hear those are having the most problems

Yes - I have this same problem, as well. Mine is also connected through CarPlay in a BMW. I have heard the same.

I talked with tech support about a month ago regarding this issue, and they told me 'no one has ever reported this.' Made me feel insane until I found this thread!!

Hey all! I'm having the same issue... After reading through these comments and replies I'm guessing it's something to do with Carplay? I noticed many people have the same issue with a BMW and wireless Carplay!

If I reboot the phone the notification will come through for maybe 2/3 calls then the notification for calls only stops working on my watch!

Has anyone had any luck fixing this?

it happens to me last two months. always help me to make restart of watch and iphone. From last week my partner has the same problem. But it always works one or two weeks and then again the same problem :/

Still happening with the latest updates. So frustrating. I have to believe this isn't happening to everyone with an Apple Watch and CarPlay, or else Apple would have fixed it by now. But from the comments here it seems to happen to a variety of phones/watch models, and both wired and wireless CarPlay. Not sure what else we can do but wait and file feedback.

Yep, same here... Updates haven't fixed it. Also new beta's have the same issue. It's frustrating because not everyone has experienced the issues so it's not widespread. All we can do is report feedback and hope for the best!