My Apple Watch has taken over my iPhone

florus72 wrote:

A big disadvantage of this function is that the notification sounds on your watch, are the standard sounds of your watch. You can’t change them. On my iPhone I have specific notification sounds for different apps. This way I know if it’s an important notification (e.g. my Ring cam) so I have to react right away. With the notification sounds on my watch they are all the same sounds. Apple should really change this and give the option to keep the notification sounds on the iPhone active, or mirror the specific sounds to the watch.

Since this is a user to user only forum and Apple isn't here, feel free to let Apple know what you think things should be like, by providing feedback here --> Feedback - Watch - Apple

I already provided Apple with this feedback but I just wanted to mention this here so other users know this is the case. If they agree that this is a disadvantage they can send it as feedback too. The more people complain about a certain function, the bigger the change Apple will do something about it.

Your watch hasn't taken over your phone. It is doing exactly what it was designed to do. If you iPhone screen is locked (not on) while Apple watch is strapped to your wrist, notifications go to your watch. If you are using your iPhone (screen is active), notifications go to your iPhone. Notifications to one or the other, but NOT both. And this is by design and expected behavior.

At the top of this link from Apple says:

Where notifications appear

Notifications appear on your Apple Watch or iPhone, but not both.

This is the link and it would help you read it to better understand about notifications between your two devices --> Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

A big disadvantage of this function is that the notification sounds on your watch, are the standard sounds of your watch. You can’t change them. On my iPhone I have specific notification sounds for different apps. This way I know if it’s an important notification (e.g. my Ring cam) so I have to react right away. With the notification sounds on my watch they are all the same sounds. Apple should really change this and give the option to keep the notification sounds on the iPhone active, or mirror the specific sounds to the watch.

If that is important you can disable the notification on the watch so it only comes on the iphone.

eg messages, in Watch app, My Watch, Notifications, Messages

I know I can do that but why does the watch only have standard sounds? I don’t see the reason for that. Technically the watch is practically the same as a smartphone. So if my iPhone can produce specific notification sounds, I stead of 2 or 3 standard sounds, why can’t my watch? I still would like the notifications on my watch because of the haptic feedback.

You’re absolutely right, this is a user to user forum. So if you have an issue with a certain function of, in this case the Apple Watch, you can drop it here and see if it’s an issue for more people. I’ve seen more threads that discuss this issue too so I don’t really understand what’s your problem with this?

Do you think this forum is solely a base for questions about how Apple products work (or not). I think you can discuss positive and negative aspects of their products here too.

If you read one of my earlier comments, you can see I already sent this feedback to Apple. But by dropping the issue here, it can encourage people to do the same if they agree it’s a negative aspect of the Apple Watch. The more people give the same feedback, the bigger the change it gets Apple’s attention.

I already provided Apple with this feedback but I just wanted to mention this here so other users know this is the case. If they agree that this is a disadvantage they can send it as feedback too. The more people complain about a certain function, the bigger the change Apple will do something about it.

I guess because Apple chose to make the notification sound on Apple Watch that way. We are NOT Apple. This is a user to user only forum and Apple doesn't participate here. We have nothing to do with the Engineering of Apple Watch. It's true all notifications sound the same on Apple Watch. And that isn't something Apple has chosen to give the user a way to adjust. For me, it's NOT an issue at all. I don't want my watch to make a sound for a notification. Instead I use the Prominent Haptic setting, which simply taps my wrist to alert me of a notification, which makes me look at my watch.

If you'd like to share your thoughts with Apple, feel free to provide feedback via this link --> Feedback - Watch - Apple

Your watch isn't paired with your iPad, so it's not tied to an iPad, like it is to your iPhone. You have Haptics turned on your Apple Watch. You can change that to Sounds AND Haptics if you want. I personally prefer haptics. That way, my wrist tapped to alert of a notification, but no one around me is aware and I think that's great.

You can discuss anything you want about your device. What you don't get is Apple's attention and since we are all users and there is NO WAY to change the behavior you asked about, the answer isn't going to change, no matter how many people respond. There is NO WAY to change the Apple Notification sound on Apple Watch.

So, I provided the only sure way for you to communicate your thoughts with Apple as you simply have not done so by commenting here.

Ps: Read the Terms of Use you agreed to when you joined the forum. This is strictly an Apple provided forum for users to ask technical support questions from other users. If it relates to behavior which cannot be changed as your question is about, discussing whether someone likes or doesn't like it won't get anyone anything.

florus72 wrote:

Do you think this forum is solely a base for questions about how Apple products work (or not). I think you can discuss positive and negative aspects of their products here too.

That’s pretty much how Apple views it:

Apple Support Communities is here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively. 

(From the Terms of Use)

Sure, you can make comments as well. However, asking “why” Apple does something isn’t going to get you any answers here as we don’t know and

 Unless otherwise noted, do not post Submissions about non-technical topics, including:

Speculation or rumors about unannounced products.

Discussion of Apple policies or procedures or Apple’s moderation of the Site.

You're very welcome!