You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Watch messages not in sync with iPhone messages

My Apple Watch doesn't seem to be syncing Messages properly.


When I receive a Message on my iPhone, it appears on my Watch.


If I delete a message on my iPhone it does NOT delete on my Watch.


I can delete the Message separately on the Watch, but I take it that the Watch is supposed to be in-sync with the iPhone.


Any help would be appreciated.


*Latest iOS on iPhone 6 and Watch OS 1.01

Apple Watch, Watch OS 1.0.1

Posted on May 25, 2015 6:44 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 15, 2017 11:06 AM

it's a bit of an old post but still worth a reply this behaviour of message deletion not syncing has occurred since day one with the Apple Watch there is no known solution at this stage trust me I have pushed this one through to Apple Engineering multiple times and have submitted alot of feedback I agree guys the changes you make on one device should sync to the next being in the support structure myself I wish I could do more to have this behaviour changed for your sanity and mine as I'm not only supporting people with the issue it but it personally drives me nuts all I can suggest is to keep making complaints and submitting that feedback I assure you the more feedback one issue gets the more likely that issue is to be resolved /addressed.

41 replies

Jun 10, 2015 7:15 PM in response to napabar

About Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on Apple Watch - Apple Support

read it, without the phone it's just a watch with healthkit tracking.

to clear up the wifi/Bluetooth link to the iPhone, it's just an AirPlay link. The watch uses Bluetooth for low power use, then wifi if Bluetooth signal is to weak to keep the iPhone link.

NO phone , no messages or any other communication.


it doesn't connect on its own to any wifi network , try checking your hub ip allocations. You won't see it EVER.

Jun 10, 2015 10:43 PM in response to 3dmac

read it, without the phone it's just a watch with healthkit tracking.

This is not correct. Although limited, it can do more than Activity and Fitness. Apple Pay, Music (to bluetooth headphones), some native app's local store (e.g. synced email) as well as some Siri requests and Messaging.


To clear up the wifi/Bluetooth link to the iPhone, it's just an AirPlay link.

The watch uses Bluetooth for low power use, then wifi if Bluetooth signal is to weak to keep the iPhone link.

The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth link is not "just an AirPlay link". AirPlay is a AV streaming protocol used to connect iOS, OS X and watchOS devices to compatible hardware to stream audio or video. It is not used between iPhone and Apple Watch to maintain a connection.


NO phone , no messages or any other communication.

When the iPhone is out of range, the Apple Watch will establish a Wi-Fi connection either to it directly, or via a router (if within range of a known Wi-Fi network). This connection can be used for some native Watch apps including Siri and Messaging.

See this videodemonstrating that my iPhone is disconnected, but my watch is connected to Wi-Fi. Note the "Disconnected from iPhone" icon at the top of the Watch face. I send an emoji from my Watch to a different iMessage account logged in on my Mac, and it is received.

Additionally, it appears that under iOS 9 and watchOS 2, this will extend to FaceTime Audio calls as well (and I assume 3rd party native apps). There is a post by 9to5Macthat demonstrates a "Continuity Calling" feature. You can see here that the Apple Watch is listed as a separate device capable of receiving the calls. It's similar to the "Text Message Forwarding" menu on iOS 8, however, Apple Watch isn't listed here (that doesn't negate the fact it can receive iMessages when out of iPhone, however).

Finally, on the new Apple Music page. Towards the bottom of the "Membership" page, it lists that the Watch can sync music from Apple Music even "when out of range of iPhone". This will be using the Apple Watch's built in Wi-Fi.

it doesn't connect on its own to any wifi network , try checking your hub ip allocations. You won't see it EVER.

Screen grabs as taken from my Apple Watch and AirPort Extreme – matching IP and DNS name. (It only connects to Wi-Fi if Bluetooth is disabled on, or out of range of, the iPhone and when in range of a known Wi-Fi network.

User uploaded fileUser uploaded file

Jun 12, 2015 9:35 PM in response to jamie.shaw

HI jamie

i stand corrected , my watch was not showing up on my hub ip list for some weird reason.

MY 6+ though has always stayed connected And active ip stat.

So I cleared the wifi link and relogged in on my 6+ and rechecked my watch on the hubs ip allocation list and it now shows and I set it to a specified IP address.

TEsted it's login by Turing BT OFF and it stayed connected to my 6+ throughout my hubs range ( can go next door neighbor and be logged on)

All thing aok

what I was referring to with AirPlay is its linking of iOS / OS X devises while on the same network. Not its AV protical

Jul 10, 2015 2:19 AM in response to Rick325456

I had the same issue. I also had two step verification switched on.

When I restart my apple watch my iPhone asks for the iCloud password.

What it really means is go to appleid.apple.com and log in and go password and security and generate an app specific password for "iMessage and FaceTime”.

Put that in (including the dashes) when it asks for the iCloud password and hopefully it should work :-)

Jul 22, 2015 5:21 AM in response to jamie.shaw

This is a crazy argument on this thread... Whether it is intentional or not, the fact that if I get a billion texts and a ton of email I have to go through my watch (which the interface ***** and needs to be updated) and delete the SAME things I deleted from the other 5 apple devices I own. This is not user friendly. At least they need to provide an option of letting you keep all your trash on all your devices not in sync if that is your choice. But apple has always been a nice EASY clean interface, this is not easy and clean. I probably wouldn't hate it so much except for the fact that when I go through and delete text threads on my watch I slide and click delete and have to wait a couple seconds for ANOTHER dialog to come up and make me click delete AGAIN. Such a time waste and poor interface. And if we talk consistency, the watch does not require a second delete from emails, it is slide and delete one click... much simpler... so apparently the email people and messages people are in different groups that don't talk. Again, this thread is pointless, the interface is poor and the user should have the option to mirror our ios devices, so if I delete something on one device it is deleted on all... if I screw up and delete and didn't mean to it is on me. I don't appreciate spending half of my life running around trying to manually keep my stuff in sync and clean, it makes me want to be more of a microsoft person... please listen to your users apple!!!!

Aug 6, 2015 2:09 PM in response to jamie.shaw

The original author's point is that you have to have an iPhone to use the Apple Watch, it is stated on the box. You cant expect to use your apple watch when you've got an Android phone. So why don't sync messages/iMessages across the iPhone and paired watch? It is different than sync an iPad and iPhone. It is like the simplest easiest coding project Apple programmer can do to achieve it. Despite the assumed security reason (maybe not necessary at the first place), maybe user experience is more important? Why do you keep focusing on Wi-Fi and bluetooth? Also the way Apple watch connects to iPhone is similar in methodology to the way AirPlay works.

Feb 23, 2016 8:18 AM in response to Rick325456

I have this problem too and I have quit wearing the Apple Watch. It was a waste of $400 as far as I am concerned. I can get hundreds of messages a day from my work system and I have to delete them from my iPhone one at a time...the fact that I have to do it on the Watch too is just too much to handle. Ridiculous that a sync is NOT a sync. What a waste of money!!

Oct 7, 2016 7:55 AM in response to Jonathan UK

Thanks for the feedback form, I submitted a feature request. Hopefully all others in this thread that are frustrated with the lack of syncing deletions also submit feedback.


What I find odd about the whole thing is that other features of Messages do sync, so it's inconsistent. As an example, old message threads that were received well before I purchased my Apple Watch do show in the Messages app on the Apple Watch.


Like others have said, you expect it to be one seamless experience. Right now, double-deletions is a pain.

Watch messages not in sync with iPhone messages

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.