Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

jqdoumen

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 26, 2022
9
9
Started using an Apple Watch earlier this week, and I noticed that notifications on my iPhone somehow got 'muted'. That is, there is no more notification sounds, and the notifications don't wake up my screen. When I tick the screen, the notifications are there, but without going to the screen, I wouldn't know. Same goes for incoming calls. I do get the notifications on the Watch though. Is there somewhere a setting that mutes notifications on the iPhone if they are active on the Watch?
 
  • Like
Reactions: capawa
I must be missing something here. I'm pretty sure that's how it's designed. I mean, if your Apple Watch is notifying you, then what would be the point of the iPhone alerting you too? If you're using multiple devices tied to the same iCloud account, I believe the notification will go to whichever device is the "primary" one at the time. For instance, I have both an Apple Watch on and my iPhone next to me right now as I use my Mac Mini. If I get an incoming text, the notification for it comes to my Mac Mini and neither my iPhone nor Apple Watch audibly or visibly notify me. If I leave my Mac Mini and take my iPhone and watch, then a text notification would come to my watch. If I take my watch off and keep my iPhone on me, then it would come to my iPhone.
 
Yup.
It's annoying. When using an Apple Watch together with an iPhone, you won't receive notifications on the phone. Pretty weird that Apple don't make this optional.
 
  • Like
Reactions: capawa
Ok, understood, but still annoying. Would prefer to have the option to choose. I have my Watch on, and my iPhone on a stand next to me. When I'm working on my computer, I want the notifications on my iPhone so I can read them instantly, and not on my Watch. I have to stop typing, turn my wrist, to read the message.
 
Ok, understood, but still annoying. Would prefer to have the option to choose. I have my Watch on, and my iPhone on a stand next to me. When I'm working on my computer, I want the notifications on my iPhone so I can read them instantly, and not on my Watch. I have to stop typing, turn my wrist, to read the message.

Just a thought - maybe when you know you're going to be at your desk for a while and prefer to use your iPhone for notifications, remove your AW from your wrist for a second so it locks, then put back on but don't unlock it. I think that would force notifications to go to your phone, but you can still wear your AW and see basic info on your watch face. Not a perfect solution, but better than removing your AW entirely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jqdoumen
There is actually another case that is a little disturbing. When you wear the Watch during the night, the alarm does not come from your iPhone, instead the Watch buzzes you awake. This means waking up suddenly because personal. Now it is me who has to wake up my wife instead of the iPhone. Depending on your partner's mood, can be dangerous.
 
  • Like
Reactions: capawa
There is actually another case that is a little disturbing. When you wear the Watch during the night, the alarm does not come from your iPhone, instead the Watch buzzes you awake. This means waking up suddenly because personal. Now it is me who has to wake up my wife instead of the iPhone. Depending on your partner's mood, can be dangerous.
Sorry but I can't stand when my girlfriend's alarm goes off and wakes me up.. I wish she didn't despise Apple products because if she had an Apple Watch she could let me sleep. Are you saying your wife doesn't have her own phone or an alarm clock to set an alarm for herself? Seems odd she's relying on your phone to wake her up.. Sounds more like a personal problem versus a design issue with the watch
 
Sorry but I can't stand when my girlfriend's alarm goes off and wakes me up.. I wish she didn't despise Apple products because if she had an Apple Watch she could let me sleep. Are you saying your wife doesn't have her own phone or an alarm clock to set an alarm for herself? Seems odd she's relying on your phone to wake her up.. Sounds more like a personal problem versus a design issue with the watch
This shows why it is should be customizable. We are married, we don't live separate lives, so we wake up together. Others might live differently. That is all fine, as long as there is freedom of choice and configuration.
 
This shows why it is should be customizable. We are married, we don't live separate lives, so we wake up together. Others might live differently. That is all fine, as long as there is freedom of choice and configuration.
You must be new to the Apple ecosystem as they've never allowed much choice in customization.. Android on the other hand is infinitely customizable..
 
This could be why I started missing so many notifications after I got my Apple Watch years ago...

Is there a good way to jailbreak either the iPhone or the Apple Watch to fix this so that both actually receive/act on the notifications?

This is insanity - there's so many hundreds of ways that notifications are configurable in Apple's ecosystem, spread across at least 6 different places. Their concern certainly isn't that they might have "too much choice in customization". There's already far too much customization. Most of the customization is useless (not to mention stupidly complicated) and actually useful options are missing.

Or, you know, they could stick with "the best option is no option" and actually make the stupid devices work by delivering the notifications they're supposed to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: capawa
This is annoying and you should be able to disable this feature.
Surely you can, unless I’m mistaken, just go into ‘watch’ app and configure “notifications “ for the Apps you don’t want notified on the watch ?
 
You cannot have your iPhone ring or make text messages sounds while wearing a watch. All notifications are now forced through the watch when the iPhone is locked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: capawa
That’s not true.
’watch’ App (on iphone)>notifications >scroll to (say) ”messages”>select “custom” > untick “allow notifications “ etc…..
similar for “phone” etc….no more notifications on watch.
Though, I cannot imagine why you would want to do this, it’s one of the primary reasons for wear a smart watch !
 
It's working as designed... If you take off the watch or turn it off, the phone will start audible notifications again..
Except I am not getting alerts on the phone after I take off the watch. Even for emergency bypass set persons. This is a new development and seems to be a bug that Apple keeps introducing since they cobbled their QA on iOS releases.
 
Started using an Apple Watch earlier this week, and I noticed that notifications on my iPhone somehow got 'muted'. That is, there is no more notification sounds, and the notifications don't wake up my screen. When I tick the screen, the notifications are there, but without going to the screen, I wouldn't know. Same goes for incoming calls. I do get the notifications on the Watch though. Is there somewhere a setting that mutes notifications on the iPhone if they are active on the Watch?
I found "kind of" a workaround: In Watch app on the iPhone, I went to Notifications/Messages and instead of Mirror my iPhone, I chose "custom" and chose "Send to Notification Center". My iPhone then notifies me via sound but the watch does NOT notify me but I can still see the message on the watch. I prefer hearing my "Mario Bros" text sound over just a vibration my watch.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.