How to Fix an Apple Watch That's Not Getting Notifications

Restart your Apple Watch, make sure Do Not Disturb and Airplane Mode are off, and then confirm that notifications are configured correctly

By
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
  • Swansea University, Staffordshire University
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
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Updated on April 9, 2024
Smart Watches & Wearables

If your Apple Watch isn't receiving any notifications, it's likely not a permanent problem. Here's how to get notifications to work correctly again on your Apple Watch.

Why Is My Apple Watch Not Receiving Notifications?

When your Apple Watch isn't displaying notifications, it could be because it lost connection with your iPhone. Here are some other possible causes:

  • There's a temporary glitch that a simple reboot can fix.
  • One or more notification settings are set to block alerts.
  • There's a software bug that needs to be fixed.

Notifications don't appear on both of your devices. You'll receive notifications on either your iPhone or your Apple Watch, but not both. For example, if your phone is locked or asleep, all notifications will go to your Apple Watch (unless it, too, is locked).

How to Fix It When an Apple Watch Isn't Showing Notifications 

Issues relating to Apple Watch notifications are usually easy to fix. Follow these steps in order to restore alerts on your Apple Watch:

  1. Reboot your Apple Watch. Like most tech gadgets, switching your Watch off and back on again can fix a lot of issues. 

  2. Turn off Do Not Disturb. If Do Not Disturb is active on your Apple Watch, you won't receive notifications. Fixing this is as simple as toggling DND off.

  3. Turn off Airplane Mode. This feature prevents your device from reaching the internet, which could explain why alerts aren't showing up on your Apple Watch.

    If Airplane Mode is already off, switch it on for a few seconds and then turn it back off.

  4. Check your Apple Watch notification settings. You can control notifications on a per-app basis. If alerts are turned off, then you won't see notifications on your Watch.

    If your Apple Watch isn't vibrating when you get notifications, check your notification settings and the individual app settings to make sure they are set to receive notifications with haptic feedback.

  5. Re-pair your Apple Watch. Look on your Apple Watch for a red iPhone icon or a red X. If either is present, it means the connection has been lost, and you may need to move the devices closer to each other or re-pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone.

  6. Make sure you're wearing your Apple Watch correctly. You'll only receive notifications if your Apple Watch is on your wrist.

  7. Turn off Wrist Detection. If you're wearing your Apple Watch but it doesn't detect it, switch off Wrist Detection to circumvent the sensor. Go to Settings > Passcode > Wrist Detection to turn it off.

  8. Turn off Cover to Mute. Similar to Do Not Disturb, Cover to Mute silences notifications. You can find the option to disable this on your watch, via Settings > Gestures.

  9. Update your Apple Watch. If a known bug is to blame for your Apple Watch not getting notified about messages, etc., an update could be pending to address it.

    It wouldn't hurt to also check for an iOS update on your iPhone.

  10. Contact Apple Watch Support. If you've tried all these fixes and your Apple Watch still won't receive notifications, you may need to have it repaired by Apple. Get in touch with their support team for more advice. 

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