I'm receiving notifications on both watch and iPhone even when iPhone is locked

Question

Level 1

12 points

I'm receiving notifications on both watch and iPhone even when iPhone is locked

I believe I've found a bug.

Normally, notifications work exactly like it says on the Apple Support page:

"If your iPhone is unlocked, you'll get notifications on your iPhone, instead of your Apple Watch."

"If your iPhone is locked or asleep, and your Apple Watch is unlocked and on your wrist, you'll get notifications on your Apple Watch."

But three times now, it's suddenly changed so that when I receive a text message, it's displayed (with a sound) on my iPhone 6, even though the iPhone is locked, and the watch is on my wrist and unlocked (and I'm very sure about this). Then, after about 15-20 seconds, the same notification is displayed (with the watch's standard "ping" sound) on the watch as well. Normally, the notification should only be displayed on one device or the other, depending on which devices are locked -- but I don't think it should ever be displayed on both devices, 15-20 seconds apart.

The first time this happened, I was on Apple Watch version 1.0.0 and I rebooted both devices (it took two times each) and it fixed the problem for a few days, without me making any changes to the setting on the iPhone or the watch.

The second time, I was on the same watch version, but the reboot trick didn't help. I unpaired the watch from the iPhone and then re-paired it and restored the watch from backup, and that fixed it for two more days.

Then I upgraded the watch to version 1.0.1, but the problem came back again on the new version as well.

In the Apple Watch app on the iPhone, I have notifications for messages set to "Mirror my iPhone". Note though, that I believe this means the settings should be mirrored, not that the notifications should be sent to both devices (because it doesn't work that way normally). It makes no difference if I change it to Custom.

But I think I've inadvertently found another way to fix it, at least temporarily. In trying different things, I discovered that if I go to Settings on the iPhone, then to Notifications / Messages, and turn "Show on Lock Screen" off and then back on, the notifications go back to working like they should, and only appear on one device depending on which devices are locked. In other words, even though "Show on Lock Screen" is back on, the feature works like it should and only goes to the watch when the iPhone is locked -- I believe it's the act of toggling the setting twice that fixes the problem.

I called Apple Support but they hadn't heard of the problem. Their suggestion was to unpair the watch and set it up as new, rather than restoring from a backup. I'll try that next time if it happens again.

Anyone else seeing this?

Thanks,

Russell

Apple Watch, Watch OS 1.0.1

Posted on May 21, 2015 1:00 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 21, 2017 8:47 AM in response to Russell G.

Thanks so much for posting this publicly (I literally Googled "My apple watch is giving me notifications on my watch while I'm on my iphone" and yours was the first answer I saw that looked remotely like the same problem I'm having). The only thing that is different for me, is that I still only get the notifications on my watch when my phone is locked - but when I am actively texting on a conversation I started (meaning, I unlocked my iphone and texted someone), my watch will ding with every reply text I receive during text conversation while I'm using my iphone. So weird. I hope this toggle show on lock screen works for my similar issue!

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Answer 2

May 21, 2015 2:45 PM in response to Russell G.

II've had a watch for about a day now and I've had the same problem texts come in and even though my phone is sleepi the texts go here first the. Ten seconds later over to the watch. I did a hard reset on both devices as well as tried your fix. texts are now going to the watch first

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Answer 3

May 21, 2015 3:33 PM in response to Russell G.

Excellent 🙂 that fixed my notifications too. Thank you! No more waiting for the watch to catch up!

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Answer 4

iceman60

Level 1

4 points

May 22, 2015 3:12 AM in response to Russell G.

I had the same problem too! After 1.0.1 update only, Apple please fix it!

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Answer 5

May 23, 2015 12:01 PM in response to Russell G.

I have had the same issue after 1.0.1. Apple please fix this bug. Very annoying.

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Answer 6

Jun 10, 2015 4:02 PM in response to Russell G.

Thanks, this helped me too.

I started getting this issue with 1.0.1. My Show on Lock Screen is normally off. Simply toggling the option on and then back off fixed the double notification and delay.

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Answer 7

iMarcelR

Level 1

4 points

Jun 13, 2015 3:23 PM in response to Russell G.

Turning off and on the show on lockscreen-option worked for me too. Let's see, if Apple fixes the bug with the next update.

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Answer 8

Jun 13, 2015 8:51 PM in response to Russell G.

I wish I had your problem. I want to get my text alerts on my phone and on my watch. not just on my watch when the phone is locked. Defeats the whole purpose of custom text tones and have the phone set a certain way. Hopefully apple gives us the option or at least uses common sense next time. I'm about ready to take the watch back to the store and return it.

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Answer 9

Jun 18, 2015 8:19 AM in response to Gardens257

I'm with Gardens257 on this. I want audible alerts on both the watch and phone. We should be given the choice to set it up this way if we want. I have many custom tones, I can tell who has texted me based on this without even going for my phone or lifting my wrist. I still want that, but I also want the gimmick of seeing and feeling the notification on my watch.

I was actually experiencing this 'bug' myself and it was the first time an apple glitch has ever made me pleased. In fact I didn't realise it was a bug at first and that was how it should work. Sadly the issue seems to of fixed itself and I only get the audible alerts on my watch. Am thinking I may just disable text message notifications going to the watch so that my phone chimes.

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Answer 10

Jun 18, 2015 9:16 AM in response to Russell G.

I too, am having problems with notifications. I want BOTH devices to alert me when a text comes in. Perhaps the opposite of your interest Russell. Regardless, our problem seems to be the same programming issue. My iPhone 6 will alert me to text notifications only after I wake it up. If in that condition, the watch will not alert. This is a intermittent problem and sometimes it will alert on both devices and then after a while it reverts to the watch only. In every instances of this, the iPhone is asleep and so is the watch.

Like most of you, I carry my iPhone 6 on my belt. If I'm active and walking around, my phone does not alert me to a text. The watch does alert but I can't feel it or hear it in noisy environments. I want the phone to vibrate and/or alert in addition to the watch's haptic and audible notifications. This is very frustrating and gives me pause on whether I made a good purchase. Please Apple, fix it.

I tried your fix Russell and have yet to test it. Hope it works and stays working. I'll repost with my results.

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Answer 11

Russell G. Author

Level 1

12 points

Jun 18, 2015 7:30 PM in response to Russell G.

I'm the original poster.

I just got off the phone with Apple support. They had me install several profiles to help log the problem if it happens again. However, I think we may have discovered the source of the problem, just while we were talking about it.

We think that when the "Show on Lock Screen" setting is toggled off and back on, it's actually setting the value for the first time. Maybe when the watch was first paired with the phone, the setting had a random value. By toggling it off and back on, it sets it to 1, and the problem never comes back again. I'd be interested to hear if anyone's solved this problem using the toggle and then seen it come back -- it hasn't happened again for me.

Russell

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Answer 12

Jun 18, 2015 9:15 PM in response to Russell G.

This solution seems to work for me too!

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Answer 13

Jun 19, 2015 1:20 AM in response to Russell G.

Same here after updating the watch to 1.0.1.

Toggling Show on Lock Screen in Settings/Messages off and on again fixed the issue so far.

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Answer 14

iMarcelR

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2015 7:51 AM in response to Russell G.

Turning the toggle off and on solves the problem. But at least for me this is only temporary. The issue continously returns about two days later. Nasty bug.

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Answer 15

Jun 19, 2015 2:31 PM in response to Russell G.

I tried toggling Airplane Mode on the iPhone (Watch should mirror going into Airplane Mode, depending on settings). When I brought the iPhone, then the Watch back out of Airplane Mode, the notifications seem to work as advertised (i.e., Watch when iPhone asleep/locked). I'll have to wait and see if this 'fix' does the trick.

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