Q: Watch messages not in sync with iPhone messages

If it can't send and receive iMessages by itself, then it is not a truly separate device.

swandy wrote:

 

Jamie.Shaw "An iPhone can RECEIVE iMessages without the iPhone on/available"

Napabar "The Watch cannot SEND iMessages without the iPhone on/available"

 

Instead of arguing, why don't you read each others posts and realize that you are not discussing the same situation - one is referring to RECEIVING and one is referring to SENDING.

 

PS - While I do wish that deleting Messages from my iPhone would delete them from my Watch (just because is is much more annoying to delete them at this time from the Watch), I agree that like all other Apple products (I have an iMac, iPad Mini, iPhone and Watch), the system just does not work that way.

I'm just a stubborn debater. 

My argument is that the Apple Watch can both SEND and RECEIVE independent on the iPhone (with the right conditions).

And I do agree that it should keep in sync as described. As already mentioned, if I delete a message on one, I have to delete it on my other four devices, which is a real pain.

I'm just trying to build a base explaining that, because Messages on Apple Watch is independent of the iPhone; it is treated as a separate device.

Rick325456 wrote:

 

Guys, I could care less about the ins and outs of sending and receiving iMessages independently. Let's stick with my original post:

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.

 

The Watch DOES stay in Sync and Mirror the iPhone for Messages (read/unread status, messages sent/received on iPhone/Watch do stay in sync) EXCEPT that when you delete on one it doesn't delete on the other.

 

To re-iterate, it only seems to be the deleting of Messages that doesn't go across the devices.

Apologies; I was just trying to explain why this is normal and expected behaviour across Apple devices, the Watch included, simply because of it's independence of the iPhone when sending messages.

I am unsure whether you own any other Apple devices outside an iPhone and an Apple Watch, but I can tell you that this syncing issue is a frustration outside these two also.  It would be fantastic if I could delete a Message from my iPad and it be deleted across them all, but at present, it just isn't so.

I can assure you that whilst annoying, this is not a bug. All Apple Watches will be reproducing this behaviour (mine does exactly as you describe), and I find it very unlikely that Apple will introduce keeping messages in sync solely across iPhone and Apple Watch.  It fact, with last night's announcement of watchOS 2.0, you may find that other apps will slowly become out of sync at times as they will have their own storage and databases, opposed to 'streaming' from iPhone.

My point of explaining about the ability of Apple Watch being able to send iMessages independently from the iPhone is the reason that these two are not in sync, and this has been the case since iMessage was introduced in iOS 5. The fact that, if the message is read on the Watch, notification is dismissed on the iPhone or vice versa is due to iOS 7's "Notification Sync" API.  This extends past these two devices across all iMessage devices.  If I read an iMessage on my Watch, it is also then dismissed on my MacBook, iMac and iPad (the status is synced via iCloud, not the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connection between iPhone and Watch).

In short; this is normal and expected behaviour. It is annoying, and to some, I can understand why it looks like a bug. Apple has never synced deletions across iMessage devices, and simply because the Apple Watch can independently send and receive them, Apple hasn't changed it's behaviour here.  I would be extremely surprised also if Apple did change it in the near future.

The Apple Watch is still a accesory to the iPhone.  watchOS 2.0 does nothing to change this, neither will 3.0, 4.0.

So, Apple SHOULD program the Messages app on both the Apple Watch and the iPhone to keep in sync between themselves, through their Bluetooth connection.

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.

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 video demonstrating 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 9to5Mac that 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.

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

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 :-)

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!!!!

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.

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!!

Ive had my watch for a while now, and it used to work correctly in terms of read and unread messages.   It appears that on the last update is when I began having this issue!!

If you would like to suggest that Apple considers changing how iMessage works across devices (such as syncing the deletion of messages between Apple Watch and iPhone), you can do so here:

https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html