Apple watch behaviour

[johnalan]

I've noticed that there is some incongruent behaviour with iMessage, for example, only new messages are coming through to my watch, none of the old messages (received before I signed into the watch) are visible on the watch. However this is not the case with mail (I can see older mails)...


Anyone know whats up with that?


In addition to this, Alarms on the watch are separate to alarms on the phone, however again, incongruently Reminders are shared.

Finally I've also noticed that the setting 'show watch face' on wrist raise doesn't work... it always seems to 'go back to whatever i was doing previously'...

 

[BrettDS]

I've noticed that there is some incongruent behaviour with iMessage, for example, only new messages are coming through to my watch, none of the old messages (received before I signed into the watch) are visible on the watch. However this is not the case with mail (I can see older mails)...

This is just how imessage works. If you were to purchase an iPad now and sign into iMessage then you would see the same thing. All new messages would be delivered to your iPhone and iPad (and watch), but older messages wouldn't appear on the iPad. Your email is stored on your mail server on the internet, so each device can sync with that and see all older and newer messages, but iMessages are only stored on your devices, so each device will only see messages sent and received since it was activated.

Finally I've also noticed that the setting 'show watch face' on wrist raise doesn't work... it always seems to 'go back to whatever i was doing previously'...

There is a short timeout there. If you have an app open, then lower your wrist so the watch shuts off and immediately raise your wrist again then it will turn on again in whatever you had open, but if you lower your wrist and wait a short time (I haven't played around with it, but I would guess on the order of 30 seconds or a minute) then it will go back to the watch face when you raise your wrist again.

 

[StophMac24]

This is just how imessage works. If you were to purchase an iPad now and sign into iMessage then you would see the same thing. All new messages would be delivered to your iPhone and iPad (and watch), but older messages wouldn't appear on the iPad. Your email is stored on your mail server on the internet, so each device can sync with that and see all older and newer messages, but iMessages are only stored on your devices, so each device will only see messages sent and received since it was activated.



There is a short timeout there. If you have an app open, then lower your wrist so the watch shuts off and immediately raise your wrist again then it will turn on again in whatever you had open, but if you lower your wrist and wait a short time (I haven't played around with it, but I would guess on the order of 30 seconds or a minute) then it will go back to the watch face when you raise your wrist again.

I timed it and within 30 seconds, it reverts to the watch face

 

[johnalan]

This is just how imessage works. If you were to purchase an iPad now and sign into iMessage then you would see the same thing. All new messages would be delivered to your iPhone and iPad (and watch), but older messages wouldn't appear on the iPad. Your email is stored on your mail server on the internet, so each device can sync with that and see all older and newer messages, but iMessages are only stored on your devices, so each device will only see messages sent and received since it was activated.



There is a short timeout there. If you have an app open, then lower your wrist so the watch shuts off and immediately raise your wrist again then it will turn on again in whatever you had open, but if you lower your wrist and wait a short time (I haven't played around with it, but I would guess on the order of 30 seconds or a minute) then it will go back to the watch face when you raise your wrist again.

Super - really informative thank you... What about the incongruent behaviour with Alarms vs Reminders, or Timers vs Calendars...

In many ways the Apple Watch is a remote control or 'window' into the phones features and views (e.g. Calendar on the watch is like a window into Calendar on the phone) however in other ways it seems a stand alone device (e.g. Separate timers and alarms)...

Whats your view on it?

----------

I timed it and within 30 seconds, it reverts to the watch face

Cool thanks!

 

[BrettDS]

Super - really informative thank you... What about the incongruent behaviour with Alarms vs Reminders, or Timers vs Calendars...

I don't have much of an opinion there, but I do agree that it seems a little strange that alarms aren't synced with the phone. There have been a few other threads on here about that and I'm not sure that anyone has a really good explanation for it.