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Siri won't send text messages

I've been trying to send text messages on an Apple Watch connected to an iPhone 5S, both running the latest OS at the time of writing. iMessage is disabled.


If I open the messages app on the watch and dictate a message then it will send. I can also reply to messages on the watch. If I use Siri on the phone along the lines of "Hey, Siri, send a message to #{contact} saying #{message}" then I will be presented with buttons for cancelling and sending; selecting send does what one might expect. But, the same command to Siri on the watch results only in a "don't send" button and the message is never sent. Can anyone suggest what this might be, and how I might fix it, please? The ability to send a message by voice only is a critical feature.

Posted on Jul 29, 2016 12:32 PM

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12 replies

Jul 29, 2016 1:15 PM in response to knirirr

Hi


Siri enables you to send messages without needing to touch your watch - so there is not supposed to be a Send button.


To send messages via Siri:


  • Instruct Siri to send a message (eg "Hey Siri, send a message to <whom> saying <what>");
  • When you have finished, wait until Siri shows what you have dictated on the screen for you to review it;
  • Then either:
    • Lower your wrist, following which the message will be sent automatically;
    • Or tell Siri to send it (eg "Hey Siri, send it").
  • Having reviewed the message, if you would prefer to cancel it, you can either:
    • Use Siri: "Hey Siri, cancel";
    • Or tap on the Don't Send button.

Jul 29, 2016 1:24 PM in response to Jonathan UK

I've tried those options. Simply waiting results in nothing happening - the message is never sent.


Also:


"Hey, Siri, send a message to #{contact} saying #{message}" => message appears on screen, ready to send.

"Hey, Siri, send it" => "Sorry, there has been a problem" etc. etc., assuming that my command of "send it" is heard correctly, which is not always the case.


What I need here is for the message to send automatically unless I tap the "don't send" button, but that is not happening.

Jul 29, 2016 1:36 PM in response to knirirr

knirirr wrote:


"Hey, Siri, send it" => "Sorry, there has been a problem" etc. etc., assuming that my command of "send it" is heard correctly, which is not always the case.


What I need here is for the message to send automatically unless I tap the "don't send" button, but that is not happening.


The latter is what should happen a few moments after you have lowered your wrist (such that the display sleeps).


Given the error message that you are receiving after instructing Siri to "send it", I suggest that you try the following steps:


Restart both your iPhone and your watch:

  • Close all open apps on your iPhone (double-click the Home button and swipe up on each app preview).
  • Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first;
    • To turn your watch off: press and hold the side button until you see the Power Off slider; drag it to turn off;
    • To turn it on: press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.


If the issue persists, next unpair and re-pair your watch:

Jul 29, 2016 2:04 PM in response to Jonathan UK

I've tried the first option. The phone still works normally but the watch now says "No Siri Connection. Neither Apple watch nor iPhone can access Siri".

There's no time this evening to try the second option, perhaps later tomorrow afternoon.


Edit: Siri is now accepting commands after another reboot of the watch, but still not sending messages.

Jul 30, 2016 8:57 AM in response to Jonathan UK

iOS: 9.3.3 (13G34)

watchOS: 2.2.2 (13V604)


I have now tried repairing as suggested above, but the situation remains the same; messages will not send if dictated to Siri and an attempt to send with "Hey, Siri, send it" results in a message saying "Uh oh, there's a problem. Try that again?" (or something similar).


I have sent several messages today by means of the messages app on the watch and Siri is also capable of sending text messages by means of voice only from the phone. It is this one scenario of hands-free text messaging on the watch which fails (of course, that's the thing I'm most keen to use).

Siri won't send text messages

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