iwatch not showing on iPhone as a device under iPhones Messenger, Text Messages Forwarding?

Well, as I said, my wife IS getting the messages on both her watch and phone... and I did too before.

However, I did look at her iWatch settings and they DID differ from mine in one specific place:

So I changed mine to match.

I know it works on her iPhone 16e and did work on my iPhone 16 Plus.

Usually it is the 'Confirmation code' that some web sites send you as TEXT that pops up on her watch. Makes it easy to twist your wrist and see it than getting the phone out of your pocket to see it.

You are right about the Text Message Forwarding, her iPhone only has her iPad as well.

Maybe that change I made above will fix it? Hmm, doesn't seem like it, I sent one to me from her phone, only to my iPhone????

When I started to compare other settings between the two, it seems she's STILL on iOS26.6.2? Would that make a difference?

Well, that is not true either?

Phone can be locked or unlocked and it appears on my wife's watch, and used to on mine.

It appears my wife's iPhone was 2 levels of update 'old'. One iOS 26 and iOS 27. I've now updated her phone. Still in progress and we'll see if her watch (which is probably back level too) still works?

Well, surprise, surprise!!!

It IS working now? My iPhone is sitting on the charger, screen blank. I needed a web site code and sent it to my phone. Phone opened to show it, BUT it also appeared on my watch, as there was a message from a phone number. Opened it and saw this:

I saved the image on the watch which put it into my phone photos. Saved captured from a phone mirroring app on my PC and then added here.

I guess that one little change to CUSTOM made it work???

I had always gotten on the watch other apps like weather, sport notifications from a few apps, and others, just not Messenger? Now I'm getting Messenger.