Wrist detection issues (Notifications/stand goals).

Hi

How notifications behave depends on the status of your devices and your settings. With Wrist Detection enabled, in order to bring notifications to your attention as soon as possible:

• If your iPhone is unlocked, then you will receive notification alerts on your iPhone instead of on your Apple Watch.
• If your iPhone is locked or asleep and your Apple Watch is unlocked (regardless of whether the watch display is asleep or awake) and on your wrist, you will receive notification alerts on your watch.
• If your Apple Watch is locked or has Do Not Disturb enabled, then notifications will go to your iPhone.
• More information:

  Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Check also that notifications are expected to be available under the circumstances in which you are using your Apple Watch (not "iWatch"):

• About Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
• How to use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support

If notification alerts are not being delivered on your Apple Watch as expected, then the following steps may help:

Check for and install any available updates for your iPhone and Apple Watch, starting with your iPhone:

• Update the iOS on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Update your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Check that Wrist Detection is turned on and that, if passcode is enabled, you are unlocking your Apple Watch after placing it on your wrist:

• On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Passcode > turn Wrist Detection on.

Check your Phone settings:

• On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Phone.
• Choose Custom and select your preferred settings under each of Alerts and Ringtone, including checking that the Alert Volume is towards the centre or right hand side.

Check your Messages settings:

• On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > Messages.
• Choose Custom and check - under Alerts - that Show Alerts, Sound and Haptic are each enabled.

Check that Theatre Mode is not enabled on your Apple Watch:

• When viewing the time on your watch, swipe up to open Control Centre.
• Tap the Theatre Mode button to toggle the setting on / off.
• Be a considerate moviegoer with Theater Mode

Check that Do Not Disturb mode is not enabled on your Apple Watch:

• When viewing the time on your watch, swipe up to open Control Centre.
• Tap the Do Not Disturb button (crescent moon icon) to toggle the setting on / off.

On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > Sounds & Haptics:

• Check that the Alert Volume is towards the centre or right hand side.
• Check that Silent Mode is not enabled.
• Check that Haptic Strength is set to the middle or far right hand side of the slider.

Confirm directly on your Apple Watch that Silent Mode is not enabled:

• When viewing the time on your watch: swipe up on the screen to open Control Centre > check whether Silent Mode (button with a crossed out bell icon) is enabled.

Check that your Apple Watch and iPhone are connected:

• For the best performance from your iPhone and Apple Watch, including the most power-efficient communication between them, Apple recommends keeping both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi permanently enabled on your iPhone.
• About Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on Apple Watch - Apple Support

The following further steps may also help:

Restart both your iPhone and your Apple Watch, turning both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first;

• Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch:

• The Watch app on your iPhone takes a backup of your watch automatically when unpairing via the app.
• Initially choose to Restore from Backup during set up (most data and settings will be restored, with some exceptions, such as Apple Pay cards, passcode).
• If the issue persists, consider instead unpairing and setting it up as a new watch.
• Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone - Apple Support
• Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If the issue persists, then I suggest that you contact Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:

• US: Apple Watch Service Answer Center - Apple Support
• Elsewhere: Apple - Support

Exact same issue. I want notifications on BOTH phone AND Watch ALWAYS. I cannot risk missing pages so I have to keep wrist detection off but then I lose perks of having it on (stand reminders, Auto Unlock, etc).

Phone customer service couldn’t believe this hadn’t been made an option and suggested I go to Apple feedback to make suggestion. I guess if enough people complain then they might decide to give us this simple fix.

You did not grasp the problem. Read my reply. Please get Apple to fix this. No reason we should’t Be able to customize so we can receive notifications on BOTH phone AND Watch ALWAYS regardless of status. I cannot risk missing pages so I have to keep wrist detection off but then I lose perks of having it on (stand reminders, Auto Unlock, etc).

This is a user-based technical support community - you are not talking to Apple here.

If you would like to submit a feature request to Apple for a settings option that enables notifications to be delivered to both devices without affecting other functionality, then you can do so here:

Feedback - Apple Watch - Apple

I've been hoping for this for years now. I've tried Apple Watch twice and barely lasted a week each time. Notifications just don't work for me unless they fix this. But it doesn't seem likely that they will.

I am having the same issue as you. Hopefully they will do something to enable notification for both devices with wrist detection on. 😟

Then be sure to submit your feature request to Apple via the link in my previous reply rather than posting a "me too" reply here.

I'm having the same issues. Sent a feedback request to Apple. Not sure why it isn't an option already, but hopefully if enough request it they will fix it...