If you can’t send or receive messages on your Apple Watch (2024)

FAQs

If you can’t send or receive messages on your Apple Watch? ›

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and make sure that iMessage is turned on. Then tap Send & Receive and make sure that you're using the same Apple ID that your Apple Watch is using. If you aren't signed in, sign in to iMessage with your Apple ID.

Unpair your devices, then pair them again

If your Apple Watch still can't connect, unpair it from your iPhone, then pair your Apple Watch and iPhone again.

Check your Apple Watch notification settings. You may not have set up your Apple Watch and iPhone to share notifications. Or, you may have limited your Apple Watch notifications. Open the Watch app on your phone and go to My Watch > Notifications > Messages, and ensure Mirror my iPhone is selected.

Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and pair it with your Android smartwatch. Swipe down from the home screen on your smartwatch and tap Settings. Scroll down, tap Notifications, and ensure notifications are activated on your smartwatch.

Make sure that your phone line is turned on. If you use multiple SIMs, make sure that the phone number you want to use is selected and turned on. In the Settings app, tap Messages. Turn iMessage off and then back on.

Check your iMessage settings

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and make sure that iMessage is turned on. Then tap Send & Receive and make sure that you're using the same Apple ID that your Apple Watch is using. If you aren't signed in, sign in to iMessage with your Apple ID.

Erasing all content and settings erases all media, data, and settings from your Apple Watch, but it does not remove Activation Lock. To remove Activation Lock, unpair the watch first. Before your watch is erased, a backup of its contents is created on your iPhone.

Why am I not getting notifications even though they are turned on? ›

Check app notification settings.

For iPhone, open Settings and go to Notifications and select the app that's not sending you alerts. Once there, make sure the toggle for "Allow Notifications" is on. For Android, open Settings, tap Notifications > App settings and make sure the toggle is on to allow notifications.

You've received a notification if the red dot icon appears. Swipe down on the watch face to read notifications.

Force restart your Apple Watch

Press and hold both the side button and Digital Crown until the screen turns black and the Apple logo reappears, then release both buttons. Your watch might take a few moments to restart.

A soft reset is a gentle way to recalibrate your device. You might want to do a hard reset of your Apple Watch because the device is experiencing problems that have not been solved by a soft reset, a software update, or other troubleshooting methods.

The most common reason for the Apple Watch display to go dark and become unresponsive is a battery issue. Unless you've been wearing the Apple Watch all day and depleted the battery, the first troubleshooting step you should perform is a forced restart.

If you don't see the keyboard, swipe up from the bottom, then tap the Keyboard button. Use Scribble: Use your finger to write your message. To edit your message, turn the Digital Crown to move the cursor into position, then make your edit.

There are several possible causes if you do not get notifications from text messages on your Android device: You muted or blocked the contacts in the Message app. You set up SMS forwarding to another number. You turned on the Do Not Disturb mode.

Apple Watch Mirroring allows you to see and control your Apple Watch screen from your paired iPhone. You can use touch or assistive features like Voice Control, Switch Control, and more on your iPhone to interact with Apple Watch.

You have notifications switched off.

It's possible to switch off notifications on your Apple Watch, which means the device will no longer notify you when you get a text.