Resolving Apple Watch Notification Issues

The Apple Watch efficiently keeps you updated, tracks workouts, and monitors sleep, seamlessly complementing your iPhone. Mirroring notifications is a key feature, making it frustrating when it malfunctions. If you’re encountering this issue, here’s how to resolve it.

Solving Notification Display Problems

Key Notification Mechanisms on Apple Watch

Notifications on Apple Watch and iPhone overlap, so understanding their interaction is crucial before troubleshooting. Otherwise, you might wonder why alerts aren’t showing on your watchOS device.

Notably, notifications display on either your Apple Watch or paired iPhone, never both simultaneously. If your iPhone is unlocked, alerts will be routed there rather than to the watch.

When your iPhone is locked or inactive, notifications will appear on your Apple Watch, unless it’s also locked. However, keep in mind that app-specific notifications, such as those from the Noise app, remain exclusive to the device on which the app is installed.

Upon receiving a notification on your Apple Watch, expect to see the red notification icon at the top center. Dismissing alerts on the watch also clears them from your connected iPhone.

To view all notifications, swipe down from the top to access the Notification Center. Then, scroll using the Digital Crown or your finger.

11 Solutions for ‘Apple Watch Not Receiving Notifications’

Customize Apple Watch Notifications

• Visit the Watch app on your iPhone -> My Watch -> Notifications.
• First, choose an app and customize notifications to fit your needs.

Remember that not all apps offer the same notification options. For consistent settings between your iPhone and Apple Watch, select Mirror my iPhone.

• Allow Notifications: Enable to show notifications in the Notification Center and on your Apple Watch.
• Send to Notification Center: Direct notifications solely to the Notification Center without alerting your Apple Watch.
• Notifications Off: Turn off notifications.
• Group Notifications: You can group notifications as needed. To do so, tap Notification grouping (Watch app -> Notifications), then choose Off, Automatically, or By app.

Check Your Connection

If you’re not getting notifications on your Apple Watch, it may be because the watch lost its connection with the iPhone. Before trying other steps, ensure your Apple Watch is connected to your iPhone.

• On your Apple Watch, swipe up on the watch face to access the control center.
• If your devices are disconnected, a red “X” icon, red iPhone icon, or Wi-Fi icon will appear at the top. These icons may also appear at the top of the watch face.
• When your Apple Watch is connected to the iPhone, a green iPhone icon appears at the top in the control center.
• To fix the connection issue, ensure your Apple Watch and iPhone are in range and that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on your iPhone (Settings app -> Wi-Fi/Bluetooth).
• Also, ensure Airplane Mode is disabled on both the Apple Watch and the iPhone, which you can quickly do from the control center of your device.

Make Sure You Have Allowed Apps to Send Notifications

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone and choose Notifications.
• Now, select the app that doesn’t send you notifications and choose the Allow Notifications option.

Manage Bluetooth on Your iPhone and Apple Watch

• On your Apple Watch, navigate to Settings -> Bluetooth and turn off the switch.
• On your paired iPhone, access Settings -> Bluetooth and toggle it off.
• Restart both devices. Once rebooted, return to Bluetooth settings and enable Bluetooth on both your iPhone and Apple Watch.

Disable Do Not Disturb Mode

• Swipe up from the watch face to access the control center on your Apple Watch and deactivate Do Not Disturb.

Perform a Hard Reset on Your Apple Watch

If notifications don’t appear on your Apple Watch, hard reset it. This often resolves watchOS issues, including notification problems.

• Press and hold the Side button and the Digital Crown simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.
• After your Apple Watch restarts, wait to see if notifications resume.

Update Apps on Your Apple Watch

• Open the App Store -> Scroll to Account.
• Tap Update. You can update apps individually or select Update All.

Remove Problematic Apps and Reinstall Them

• Access the home screen on your Apple Watch by pressing the Digital Crown. If in grid view, touch and hold an app icon, then tap Edit App to enter jiggle mode.
• To remove an app, tap the “X” button at the top and select Delete App.
• If in List View, swipe left on the app and tap the red delete button.

Update Your Apple Watch

Usually, watchOS updates include performance enhancements and bug fixes. If notifications persist as an issue, updating the software is advisable.

• To start, place your Apple Watch on its charger and ensure it’s charging.
• Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch and choose General.
• Tap Software Update and download the latest watchOS version.

Update Apple Watch Using iPhone

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone and select General. Then, tap Software Update and wait for your device to check for updates.
• When the update is available, download and install the latest watchOS version.

Last Resort: Erase Your Apple Watch and Re-Pair With Your iPhone

If your Apple Watch still can’t receive notifications, erase and re-pair it with your iPhone. Known as a last resort, this often resolves persistent watchOS issues. Thanks to automatic backup, you won’t lose any data. So, don’t worry.

• Navigate to the Settings app on your Apple Watch and tap General. Then, scroll down and tap Reset.
• Tap Erase All Content and Settings and confirm.
• Go to the Watch app on your iPhone and select General. Scroll down and tap Reset.
• Tap Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings and confirm.

Once you’ve erased your Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and follow the prompts to re-pair both devices.

Note:

• After the release of watchOS 8.5 and iOS 15.4, Apple also allows you to reset your bricked Apple Watch using your iPhone. Learn more about this feature in a detailed guide on restoring a dead Apple Watch.

Fixing Apple Watch Notifications Not Working

This concludes a detailed troubleshooting guide for fixing Apple Watch notification issues. Hopefully, notifications are back on track on your watchOS device. watchOS 8 faces several annoying issues, including the Portraits Watch face not working, app installation problems, and charging issues with the Apple Watch. Share your experience with the latest iteration of watchOS and whether the above tricks worked for you.