No text tone sounds from Iphone when paired with Apple Watch

I found a way of getting your tones back, but it means no notifications on the watch. You go in to the watch settings > notifications > messages > turn off alerts. When you hear your text tone on your iphone you have to switch to the messages app on your apple watch. This is the only fix I have found to get custom text tones back while paired to your apple watch.

Thanks Pam, but I tried this and it did not work. I only got a tap on the watch. No alert tone on the phone.

Thanks xaniegirl's boyfriend. I don't like loosing apple pay, etc, but since too many notifications had gone unnoticed I needed my loud phone notifications back. On a positive note I suspect disabling wrist detection may also lengthen battery life a tad.

I also see this as a major problem. It does not alert you when using bluetooth. When I am riding my motorcycle or diving my car, I get no notification of text messages and therefore I just miss them. Many times I am waiting for a text but an never alerted that it came through! I will have to take text of my watch and then what's the point of having it?

Well, this is just a fine how'do ya do! 😝 I guess we just need to get on our knees and pray to the Apple gods and hope they fix this mess...😢

What "mess"? I prefer the way it is set up, I don't want both my iPhone and Watch making noise.

deggie wrote:

What "mess"? I prefer the way it is set up, I don't want both my iPhone and Watch making noise.

Agreed. It's a big part of why I bought the watch. And, in much of Apple's original presentation of the Watch, they talked about how it would allow you to have just the most important notifications.

I've only had my iPhone and watch for 3 weeks, after 8 years using Android phones, tablets and a few watches. I came across the site and specific thread while searching for "iphone notification sound not working with apple watch". I am glad to discover that my phone and watch are working as Apple intended.

For me, I like that when I have my watch on and my phone in my pocket that I get vibration notifications on my watch and my phone doesn't make any sound. I can see how custom sounds for certain contacts can be very beneficial, and I used that for many years on that other platform. However, and I'm only speaking for myself, it takes a whopping what, half a second, to flip my wrist and see who's emailing or texting me? And I can then choose to reply via watch or phone. And since my state (SC) now has a hands free driving law, it's nice to reply from my watch.

I guess, again for me, the point of having the watch is to get notifications on and the phone remaining silent. I also like that the phone notification sounds will work when I take my watch off and/or place on the charger. I also like that feature.

*** WORKAROUND/CORRECT SETTINGS ***


(Similar to that posted by PamN49, but WITH audio alerts!)


Check me on this, folks, but I was having the exact same PROBLEM (and yes, it is a problem, because if you "mirroring" my phone, you should be doing EXACTLY what my phone is doing - not "mostly" what my phone is doing) and I think I have a "workaround" going successfully and reliably:


1. In your PHONE Settings > Notifications > Messages - set "Repeat Alerts" to at least ONCE.

2. In the WATCH APP > Messages - set to Custom - Set "Repeat Alerts" to NEVER.

Now, assuming you phone is locked, paired to an UNlocked watch: when you get a message with a custom text tone, the FIRST time it comes in, you will NOT hear the custom SMS tone, and your watch will chime. On the first REPEAT of the alert (after 30 seconds or whatever the interval is), because it is set to "never", your watch will remain silent, and the custom text alert tone will sound on your phone. You'll miss the first notification, but not by much. Definitely better than NO custom alerts. Number of custom alerts you hear on your phone will always be the SMS alert repeat value minus one.

I hope this works for all of you experiencing this issue. Good luck!

... can I seriously not edit OR delete a comment I've posted?!

Wow, Apple. Just... wow.

artdavis wrote:

... can I seriously not edit OR delete a comment I've posted?!

You have 15 minutes from the time you post the comment to edit it. And only the Hosts can delete a comment.

... Why? That's as absurd as this watch issue we're all here to read about.

Because that is the way the forum software is setup. We have nothing to do with it, we are users like you. Apple does not particpate here, so you will not get an answer from them. As indicated elsewhere in this thread, you can provide feedback to Apple at http://www.apple.com/feedback and click on the appropriate subject area.

Since your post is a little vague in the beginning, regarding what the exact issue you have, I'm guessing it has to do with Custom notification sounds. It appears that you are upset that you do not get custom sounds on your watch. Is that the case? It has to do with the fact the watch is not configured with other sounds at this time, but you can suggest that with that link I provided you earlier.

Yes - I understand that that's how the forum software is set up. And again, that's ridiculous.

My post is not vague at all, because its not a "post" - it's a Reply to the original post that started this thread. If you'd read every message in the thread - as I have - you'd realize that.

Anyway, I posted to present a solution to my fellow users, not argue about how stupid Apple's forum software is.

Thanks, though!

Finally! A workaround that actually works!! Thank you for posting this solution! I followed what you said and I now get alerts on both my phone & watch. I no longer have to worry about missed texts on my phone when I place my watch on the charger (like I used to). Also, my watch is chiming consistently now, whereas it had stopped altogether before the fix.