10 Quick Fixes for Apple Watch Not Getting Notifications

User Concern

“My Watch is set to mirror my iPhone in terms of Mail and Message notifications, but the Watch is not getting them. My texts and e-mails arrive on the Watch, but I do not get the notifications I expect. Any thoughts? Thanks!”

Apple Watch allows you stay updated on incoming app notifications, which can be very convenient on the go. However, it is not without flaws. Recently many users complained that the Apple Watch notifications are not working.

If you are not getting notifications on your Apple Watch, don't fret, here this article will explain why is your Apple Watch not receiving notifications and how to get Apple Watch notifications working normally again.

Part 1. Why Is My Apple Watch Not Receiving Notifications

Loss of connection with iPhone can cause your Apple Watch stops getting notifications. Your app notifications will no longer bop over to your Apple Watch when it disconnects from your iPhone.

In such situation, you should check the connection on your Apple Watch and see if there is a red iPhone icon or a red X icon. If either of these icons is present, it will imply that your connection is lost. You will need to move your devices closer or fix your Apple watch.

Besides, if you have enabled Do Not Disturb or your Apple Watch has some system errors, it will also has problem to receive the notifications.

Part 2. Why Isn't My Apple Watch Vibrating When I Get a Notification?

Your Apple Watch is not vibrating when you get notifications can cause you to miss alerts. Troubleshoot your Apple Watch with these tips to restore the vibration functionality.

• Make sure that the Settings of the Apple Watch notifications are accurate so that you can get haptic feedback.
• Reboot your Apple Watch. Minor technical conflict can sometimes be a cause of the problem.
• Ensure that every app isn't vibrating and not just one. Check the app's setting to see if it is just one and if it is set to vibrate.

Part 3. How to Fix Apple Watch Not Getting Notifications

If your Apple Watch notifications is not working at all, there are a few things you may try to figure out what's wrong. Let's have a look at them.

Tip 1. Ensure Your Apple Watch Is Not Locked

On the watch face, do you notice a small lock icon? If you answered yes, your Apple Watch is locked with a passcode, and notifications are transmitted to the iPhone instead of the locked watch. Enter your passcode to unlock your Apple watch, and you should begin receiving notifications here.

Tip 2. Ensure Apple Watch and iPhone Are Connected

As mentioned above, you won't receive any notifications if your Apple Watch has lost its connection with your iPhone. You should check the connection and make sure the two devices are connected correctly.

Open the Control Center of Apple Watch by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. You will see a green iPhone icon at the top if the devices are connected. If not, you will find a red iPhone icon, a red X icon, or Wi-Fi icon.

To fix the issue, you should enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to connect the two devices. Also, make sure that Airplane Mode is disabled on both the Apple Watch and the iPhone.

Tip 3. Turn Off Do Not Disturb on Apple Watch

If Do Not Disturb function is enabled, your Apple Watch will not notify you when you get an email, text, or other messages, Apple Watch receives notifications, but it will not notify you when one is received.

Just swipe up from the bottom of the Watch screen to access the Control Center, find the cresent moon icon and tap on it to disable Do Not Disturb on your Apple Watch.

Tip 4. Check Apple Watch Notifications

Another important thing that you should check is whether the notifications has been enabled on your Apple Watch or not. Sometimes you may have turned off Apple Watch notifications and forgot to turn it back on.

Open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to "My Watch > Notifications". Choose an app and enable "Allow Notifications". Please note that some apps have different notification options, like "Mirror my iPhone" for Messages and Calendar.

Tip 5. Switch Off Cover to Mute

Cover to Mute works similarly to the Apple Watch's Do Not Disturb mode in that it blocks notifications. So, you can toggle "Cover to Mute" off in the Watch app by navigating to "My Watch > Sounds & Haptics".

Tip 6. Turn Off Wrist Detection

If you turn on Wrist Detection, your Apple Watch will only deliver notifications if it recognizes that you are wearing it correctly.

You can disable this feature on Apple Watch if it isn't working properly. Open the Watch app and go to "Passcode", then turn off the toggle for "Wrist Detection".

NOTE: This method will also work if you want to receive Apple Watch notifications even if you aren't wearing it.

Tip 7. Unpair & Repair Apple Watch and iPhone

If nothing else seems to be working, unpair and repair the Apple Watch with your iPhone. Make sure to complete the process using the Watch app. This will build a backup and allow you to restore it with ease.

Tip 8. Restart Apple Watch and iPhone

A simple restart might works to fix a lot of issues, but if that doesn't work, consider forcing the Apple Watch to restart. It's also a good idea to restart your iPhone if you're having issues with notifications.

Tip 9. Update Apple Watch and iPhone

Because of a bug in watchOS and iOS, notification delivery may be affected from time to time. Therefore, you can try to update both your Apple Watch and iPhone and ensure both devices are running the latest OS version.

You can update watchOS directly from your watch by following the steps below;

• Navigate to "General" in the Watch app. Select "Software Update" from the menu.
• Select "Download and Install" from the drop-down menu. "Install Now" indicates that the update file has already been downloaded. Follow along by tapping on it.

To update your iPhone, just head over to "Settings > General > Software Update". If there is an iOS update available, download and install it.

Tip 10. Contact Apple Support

If you have tried all the solutions but nothing works, and your Apple Watch is still not receiving notifications correctly, you can contact Apple Support and get the watch repaired.

Helpful Tips: How to Solve iOS 17 System Issues on iPhone

Is your iPhone not working as it should? FoneGeek iOS System Recovery can fix any iOS system problems and bring your iPhone/iPad to normal, including white Apple logos, DFU/recovery mode, looping on start, and more. It can usually fix iOS issues without causing data loss. This tool is fully compatible with iPhone 15/14 running on iOS 17/16.

You can fix all iOS related issues using FoneGeek iOS System Recovery through these simple steps;

Step 1. Choose the Repair Mode

On your computer, download, install, and run FoneGeek iOS System Recovery, then select "Standard Mode" from the main screen.

Step 2. Download the Firmware Package

Connect your malfunctioned iPhone or iPad to the computer via USB cable. Once the device is detected, select the matching firmware version and click the "Download" option.

Step 3. Fix Your iPhone or iPad

Once the firmware download is complete, click the "Fix Now" option to start the system recovery. When the repair is done, your iPhone/iPad will reboot and back to normal.

The Bottom Line

It can be frustrating if your Apple Watch is not getting any notifications. Hope that you can solve the issue by following the solutions mentioned above. If you have any other questions related to Apple Watch or iPhone, please feel free to leave a comment below.