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Apple Watch not getting notifications

My Watch is set to mirror my phone in terms of Mail and Message notifications, but the Watch is not getting them. My texts and e-mails arrive on the Watch, but I do not get the notifications I expect. Any thoughts? Thanks!


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Watch Sport 42mm, iOS 8.3

Posted on Apr 26, 2015 7:39 AM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Sep 30, 2017 6:36 AM

If you are not yet doing so, you might wish to use these settings:


On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Passcode:

  • Turn Wrist Detection on.
  • Turn Passcode on.
  • Enable Unlock with iPhone.


After putting it on your wrist, your Apple Watch will then unlock after whatever you do first: either unlocking your watch manually (by entering the passcode) or unlocking your iPhone. It will then remain unlocked (including when the screen is asleep) until you remove it from your wrist. When you remove your watch, it will lock automatically.


How notifications behave depends on the status of your devices and your settings. With Wrist Detection enabled, in order to bring notifications to your attention as soon as possible:


  • If your iPhone is unlocked, you will receive notifications on your iPhone instead of on your watch.
  • If your iPhone is locked or asleep and your watch is unlocked (regardless of whether the watch screen is asleep or awake) and on your wrist, you will receive notifications on your watch.
  • If your watch is locked or has Do Not Disturb enabled, notifications will go to your iPhone.


More information:

Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

59 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Sep 30, 2017 6:36 AM in response to chrisfromport carling

If you are not yet doing so, you might wish to use these settings:


On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Passcode:

  • Turn Wrist Detection on.
  • Turn Passcode on.
  • Enable Unlock with iPhone.


After putting it on your wrist, your Apple Watch will then unlock after whatever you do first: either unlocking your watch manually (by entering the passcode) or unlocking your iPhone. It will then remain unlocked (including when the screen is asleep) until you remove it from your wrist. When you remove your watch, it will lock automatically.


How notifications behave depends on the status of your devices and your settings. With Wrist Detection enabled, in order to bring notifications to your attention as soon as possible:


  • If your iPhone is unlocked, you will receive notifications on your iPhone instead of on your watch.
  • If your iPhone is locked or asleep and your watch is unlocked (regardless of whether the watch screen is asleep or awake) and on your wrist, you will receive notifications on your watch.
  • If your watch is locked or has Do Not Disturb enabled, notifications will go to your iPhone.


More information:

Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Sep 29, 2017 2:42 PM in response to Flopco

Hi just spent 3 hours with tech support trying to solve this on a brand new series 3 with iPhone 7 Plus. The result was senior level support saying that if I had a passcode on ( for security as is recommended) then email and text notifications would be disabled. If this is true it is a huge design flaw. Security of a passcode should never have to be left off. If you can’t get email notifications while phone is in pocket what is the point? This can’t be right!

Jan 27, 2017 4:21 AM in response to Flopco

I tried all the suggestions here and finally got my notifications to come back on but with no haptic alert. Most frustrating!


Then I switched on the sound for the notifications that I want to receive on my apple watch and the haptic feedback came back.


I kept the sound alert off because my phone is always on mute anyway. But apparently my apple watch needs the notifications to be on sound alert before it would vibrate.


Hope this helps others who were just as frustrated as I was.

Jul 18, 2017 7:49 AM in response to Flopco

And the winner is...turned off Cover to Mute, didn't work. Rebooted phone, issue still not resolved. Found this forum. Turned off Wrist Detection and rebooted phone, and I'm getting audible text notifications again. YAY! Leaving Cover to Mute off because I recognize how easily that could contribute to this. Thanks for the posts on this issue, they definitely helped.

Sep 30, 2017 7:11 AM in response to chrisfromport carling

chrisfromport carling wrote:


Sorry but what Apple support said does not work. You must have passcode turned off completely- this was from Apple support level 3 and most certainly is a design flaw. Not being able to secure your watch or use Apple Pay makes no sense. I am returning mine - too big a flaw!


That is certainly not a standard requirement or a design flaw on Apple Watch.


In your case, if your Apple Watch does not behave as described in my previous reply, then it is for a specific reason.


For example: passcode restrictions may be enforced on your Apple Watch (via a corporate configuration profile, mobile device management or Exchange policy on your iPhone) or Wrist Detection may not be functioning as expected (potentially due, for example, to wrist tattoos or a hardware defect).

Apple Watch not getting notifications

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