Wearing an Apple Watch gives you convenient glances at incoming app notifications, which can be extremely handy on the go. However, if you’re not getting notifications on your Apple Watch anymore, you might wonder where to begin looking for the problem and address it. In this detailed guide, we showcase a series of tested solutions to help you fix the Apple Watch not getting notifications issue.
- Make sure Apple Watch and iPhone are connected
- Turn off Do Not Disturb
- Make sure your Apple Watch is unlocked
- Double check that notifications are enabled
- Connect iPhone to network for third-party app notifications
- Update watchOS and iOS
- Reset Sync Data to fix Contacts and Calendars issues
- Force restart the Apple Watch
- Unpair and repair Apple Watch
- Disable Cover to Mute
- Contact Apple Support
1. Make sure Apple Watch and iPhone are connected
To check, press the Action Button on your Apple Watch to access the Control Center. If you see a green iPhone icon in top-left, that means both devices are connected.
For those who are prompted with any other symbol, like a red iPhone icon, red cross icon, or the Wi-Fi icon, connect both devices by enabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. If it doesn’t seem to want to work, see our guide how to pair Apple Watch with iPhone.
Note: If you enabled AirPlane mode on your Apple Watch or iPhone, turn it off.
2. Turn off Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb ensures your focus isn’t interrupted by any incoming notifications. To fix an Apple Watch that’s not getting notifications, it’s essential that Do Not Disturb is disabled.
- Press the Action button to summon the Control Center.
- Make sure the crescent moon icon is not purple. If it is, tap the icon to disable Do Not Disturb.
If Do Not Disturb was mode, this should fix your problem. If the issue persists, head to the next solution.
3. Make sure your Apple Watch is unlocked
Do you see a tiny lock icon on the watch face? If so, that means your Apple Watch is locked via a passcode, and notifications by design are not sent to a locked watch, but its paired iPhone instead.
Unlock your watch by entering the passcode, and you should start receiving the notifications properly.
Note: You’ll only get notifications on your Apple Watch when your iPhone is locked or asleep. If you’re currently using your iPhone, the alerts will appear on it rather than the watch.
4. Double check that notifications are enabled
You might have turned off Apple Watch notifications for one reason or another and haven’t turned them back on yet. Let’s make sure everything is in order.
- Open the Watch app on the paired iPhone and tap Notifications.
- Tap one of the built-in apps like Activity and make sure Allow Notifications is enabled.
For other apps like Messages, make sure “Mirror my iPhone” is checked. If you’ve chosen to use custom settings, ensure that Allow Notifications, Sound, Haptic are enabled (according to your choice).
- For third-party apps, make sure the toggle under “MIRROR IPHONE ALERTS FROM:” is enabled.
Note: If you’ve turned off third-party app notifications for your iPhone, you won’t see the app name in step 3.
5. Connect iPhone to network for third-party app notifications
To receive notifications from a third-party app like WhatsApp, your iPhone must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
If it isn’t, open Settings on your iPhone and connect to a Wi-Fi network or turn on Cellular Data.
6. Update watchOS and iOS
Sometimes, you may not get notifications on your Apple Watch due to a glitch in watchOS. It’s of utmost importance to run the latest version of watchOS on your wearable, and the latest version of iOS on your iPhone.
You can update directly from the watch or follow the steps below from your iPhone:
- Open the Watch app and tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install. If you see Install Now, the update file is already downloaded. Tap it and follow along.
- Open Settings → General → Software Update.
- Look for a newly available version of iOS. If there’s an update waiting, download and install it.
Once you’ve updated your Apple Watch and iPhone, give them both a restart. Make sure they’re properly connected, and see if you’re getting notifications (remember, your iPhone has to be sleeping to get watch notifications).
7. Reset Sync Data to fix Contacts and Calendars issues
Do you face notification problems particularly with Calendar events or Contacts? If the answer is yes, you can fix it quickly by following these steps:
- Open the Watch app on the paired iPhone and tap General.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Sync Data.
This has a good chance of solving your Calendar or Contacts problems. If this didn’t fix your Apple Watch not getting notifications, there are still a few solutions left to try.
8. Force restart the Apple Watch
A simple restart might also do the trick, but in case it doesn’t bring much to the table, consider force restarting the Apple Watch.
In addition to a force restart, it’s also a good idea to restart your iPhone to fix notification woes.
Sometimes, “have you tried turning it off and on again?” holds some real weight. Along the same tune, give unpairing and repairing your Apple Watch a go.
9. Unpair and repair Apple Watch
Finally, if nothing seems to work, unpair the Apple Watch and pair it again.
Make sure to follow the method that involves using the Watch app. This method creates a backup and lets you restore your Apple Watch effortlessly.
10. Disable Cover to Mute
Cover to Mute, like Do Not Disturb, blocks Apple Watch notifications while enabled. To make sure it’s disabled:
- Open the Watch app and navigate to My Watch → Sounds & Haptics.
- Toggle off Cover to Mute.
Did that fix your notification woes? If it did, you’re good to go. Otherwise, it may be time to look for extra help.
11. Toggle off Wrist Detection
Additionally, some users have had luck getting notifications after they turned off Wrist Detection.
- Access the Watch app → navigate to Passcode menu.
- Toggle off Wrist Detection and hit Turn Off when prompted.
11. Contact Apple Support
If nothing else has worked so far, it’s time to contact Apple Support. Their personalized help may be exactly what you need to solve the issue once and for all.
Signing Off…
These are some of the real solutions that address the notification delivery problem on Apple Watches successfully.
We hope you were able to solve the issue with our help, and that your Apple Watch is receiving notifications flawlessly now.
Do you have any other Apple-related questions? If you do, please reach out to us via the comments section below.
You may want to read:
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- Apple Watch Not Charging? Here are 4 Solutions to Fix It
- How to Use Auto Workout Detection on Apple Watch
- What Does Red Dot on Apple Watch Mean
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