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Emails that can't be read on Apple Watch

mightyjabba

mightyjabba

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 25, 2014
1,586
329
Tatooine
So by now we all know that you can't respond to emails on the Watch. I believe that is due to the limitations of text entry. You have to dictate everything, which is bearable for a text, but not great for an email -- especially since you can't edit what you've dictated to fix mistakes.

However, one thing that surprised me is that the watch can't display some emails at all. Now, some messages using formatting that the watch can't display will show a message saying as much, but they will still show a text version of the message. That's fine.

What I'm talking about here are the ones that say, "The full version of this message isn't available on Apple Watch. But you can read it on your iPhone." These messages just show who they are from and the subject line, but nothing in the message body. Why is this? I can't seem to figure out what these messages have in common, if anything.
 
No idea. Even within emails from the same person, I can read a couple but most I cant. it's very annoying and one of the many reasons I'm not keeping the watch.
 
What I want to know is if this is just a bug or a limitation based on something about the emails themselves (their format, size, etc.) So far, it's looking like a bug to me.
 
No ideas about this? Do other people run into emails that can't be read at all? I'm surprised I haven't heard more about it. Part of me thinks it may just be an issue with the data not being handed over from the phone to the watch or something.
 
its just an early app version. Nothing to worry about. Gmail or any other mail app will update in the future for the ability to load full emails.

I just think devs didnt think you would want to read full emails hence they only give you a glance of whats in there and if its important, reach for your phone to respond.
 
sorry, read your post again, thought you just wanted to read the full email instead of the first few lines.

What you mentioned was the HTML format for emails, some designed so that it shrinked differently for iOS and Web versions.

So it wont be able to "know" what to do with small screen of the watch, thus it wont appear at all.

If its just normal text base. There is no HTML formatting.
 
I did a bit more research into this issue and it seems that for HTML emails to be displayed on the watch, they have to also contain a plain text version. I had thought that the watch was stripping out the formatting on its own, but instead it's just utilizing a plain text version included in the message.

I found a couple of sites (like this one) written for marketers, basically encouraging them to continue to include plain text in their messages so that they can be viewed on the watch.

This is a little disappointing since it means that there are certain emails that can't be viewed on the watch at all (at the moment anyway).
 
Emails that can't be read on the Apple watch are emails I receive on my iPhone 6+ without yet receiving my Apple Watch!!! Since Apple decides who gets them and who doesn't, I don't have my Apple Watch yet so no of my ********** emails are available on my Apple Watch....
 
mightyjabba said:
I did a bit more research into this issue and it seems that for HTML emails to be displayed on the watch, they have to also contain a plain text version. I had thought that the watch was stripping out the formatting on its own, but instead it's just utilizing a plain text version included in the message.

I found a couple of sites (like this one) written for marketers, basically encouraging them to continue to include plain text in their messages so that they can be viewed on the watch.

This is a little disappointing since it means that there are certain emails that can't be viewed on the watch at all (at the moment anyway).
Click to expand...

Who'd think the Apple Watch User Manual from Apple would be useful.... :rolleyes:

"Note: Apple Watch supports most text styles and some formats; quoted text appears in a different color rather than as an indentation. If you receive an HTML message with complex elements, Apple Watch tries to display a text alternative of the message. Try reading the message on your iPhone instead. "

https://help.apple.com/watch/#/apddca457a4f
 
shandyman said:
Who'd think the Apple Watch User Manual from Apple would be useful.... :rolleyes:

"Note: Apple Watch supports most text styles and some formats; quoted text appears in a different color rather than as an indentation. If you receive an HTML message with complex elements, Apple Watch tries to display a text alternative of the message. Try reading the message on your iPhone instead. "

https://help.apple.com/watch/#/apddca457a4f
Click to expand...

I did in fact read the entire manual. That doesn't say anything about what kinds of email the watch can't display, and in fact the line "Apple Watch tries to display a text alternative of the message" was what led me to believe that the watch was reformatting the message on its own. But thanks for rolling your eyes at me! :mad:
 
Emails that can't be read on Apple Watch

mightyjabba said:
I did in fact read the entire manual. That doesn't say anything about what kinds of email the watch can't display, and in fact the line "Apple Watch tries to display a text alternative of the message" was what led me to believe that the watch was reformatting the message on its own. But thanks for rolling your eyes at me! :mad:
Click to expand...


It mentions it can read some formats and also about HTML, also that if its complex, it will tell you to read on the iPhone.
 
Yes, but that's not actually the case at all. The complexity of the HTML isn't a factor. Whether an HTML email can be read or not depends entirely on whether it includes a plain text version.
 
mightyjabba said:
Yes, but that's not actually the case at all. The complexity of the HTML isn't a factor. Whether an HTML email can be read or not depends entirely on whether it includes a plain text version.
Click to expand...


Actually, it seems to do both. I forwarded an email from my work account that is HTML, no plain text only version, and it displayed it. It was a simple HTML one that had no images. What's not clear is what Apple considers to be complex in a HTML email.
 
Maybe it's not quite as clear cut as the article I linked to led me to believe, which in a way is worse because you literally have no way of knowing what emails will display until you try it. I do know that I received a very simple HTML email yesterday that included no simple text version, and the watch refused to display it. On the other hand, I also got some very long and complex HTML emails that displayed text versions no problem.
 
mightyjabba said:
Maybe it's not quite as clear cut as the article I linked to led me to believe, which in a way is worse because you literally have no way of knowing what emails will display until you try it. I do know that I received a very simple HTML email yesterday that included no simple text version, and the watch refused to display it. On the other hand, I also got some very long and complex HTML emails that displayed text versions no problem.
Click to expand...

What's the logic here? Is it email that has to be composed a certain way? (to include a plain verison)?
 
I'm finding this email issue a little annoying as well and some of it doesn't make sense. For years I've received breaking news emails from CNN. They are always short, concise and text only.

From the notifications pull down I can see the first two lines. When i try to open it it says the content can't be displayed ... even though it just text.
 
yalag said:
What's the logic here? Is it email that has to be composed a certain way? (to include a plain verison)?
Click to expand...

Yes, from what I understand many programs include an option to also include a plain text version with HTML emails. It's not visible unless your email program can't handle the HTML, or you have HTML turned off. I would think it would really only apply to companies sending out heavily formatted HTML emails, and not individuals. Has anyone gotten an email from a normal person that couldn't be read on the watch? All of the ones I have been unable to view at all have been from companies.

It's possible that companies will need to change the way they're sending emails (as that link above mentioned) if they want people to read them on the watch.
 
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