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

mightymouf06

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 1, 2017
36
17
Has anyone experienced not feeling the haptic feedback or being alerted when there’s a text message? I just received my AWS4 SBSS + cellular a couple days ago and I’m noticing that if i receive a text message I’m not feeling the notification on the watch. However if I look at my phone I’ll see that i have hella messages. This is very frustrating and I’m not understanding why this is happening. I’m very close to returning it.
 
Software trouble. This happens all the time in my experience with new software updates. Reset phone and watch. I’m sure Apple will fix the bugs in updates
 
I found when I make my band tighter I feel the haptic feedback a little better and also keep the chime on.
 
Yea it’s not that the band isn’t tight enough or the chime. I’ve just been in my car driving with no music on and dead silence. And nothing happens. I’ll be driving for like 15 min. pick up my phone and I have messages. Or if I raise my watch I’ll see the messages there but it never alerts. I’m sorry but paying $800 I don’t expect to have these issues.
 
This happens all the time even on Series 2. Sometime there’s no chimes just haptic for texts or email notifications. I also have a bunch of other issues like Siri taking longer to respond or not at all. iMessage not working most the time and it just sends out as text messages not iMessage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mabus51
I have been having inconsistent text receipts on mine. Sometimes I get the notifications, sometimes I don’t. It’s annoying when I look at my phone and see that I have messages! My watch is set to custom for messages in notification settings.
 
Yea it’s not that the band isn’t tight enough or the chime. I’ve just been in my car driving with no music on and dead silence. And nothing happens. I’ll be driving for like 15 min. pick up my phone and I have messages. Or if I raise my watch I’ll see the messages there but it never alerts. I’m sorry but paying $800 I don’t expect to have these issues.

I have my phone and watch set to 'do not disturb' while in a car. iOS 12 has been very good at detecting that I am in a moving car. I do not get notifications unless I turn DND off while in a moving car.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MEJHarrison
Every since we are able to group texts and such, it does not seem to be the same. Sometimes I feel it and sometimes not. I usually feel texts better than mail notifications
 
Has anyone experienced not feeling the haptic feedback or being alerted when there’s a text message? I just received my AWS4 SBSS + cellular a couple days ago and I’m noticing that if i receive a text message I’m not feeling the notification on the watch. However if I look at my phone I’ll see that i have hella messages. This is very frustrating and I’m not understanding why this is happening. I’m very close to returning it.
Same - I am within my 2 week period to return my AW. Finally found a black SS model but now very frustrated with the text notifications.
 
Yea it’s not that the band isn’t tight enough or the chime. I’ve just been in my car driving with no music on and dead silence. And nothing happens. I’ll be driving for like 15 min. pick up my phone and I have messages. Or if I raise my watch I’ll see the messages there but it never alerts. I’m sorry but paying $800 I don’t expect to have these issues.
Have you turned on "Prominent" alert under Haptics in settings?
 
You mentioned that you were driving in the car. Is your phone connected to to the car via Bluetooth and if it is, does your car have the Bluetooth message access profile set up? If so, then it’s probably because the phone is sending the notifications to the car instead of the watch. This is an issue I am having. I know it’s not a limitation of Bluetooth, especially Bluetooth 5 since my old Samsung devices handled this without issue. Same with phone calls. Phone and car will ring but Watch doesn’t.
 
I have my phone and watch set to 'do not disturb' while in a car. iOS 12 has been very good at detecting that I am in a moving car. I do not get notifications unless I turn DND off while in a moving car.

That's actually a good point and i'll make sure that's not the case going forward, but it's also happened (majority) when i'm in my home and just sitting around watching tv.
[doublepost=1542661396][/doublepost]
Every since we are able to group texts and such, it does not seem to be the same. Sometimes I feel it and sometimes not. I usually feel texts better than mail notifications

My experience is the total opposite.. With emails and Facebook messages, i feel it and it's STRONG as far as the haptic feedback goes. With text messages, it's nothing at all.
[doublepost=1542661462][/doublepost]
Have you turned on "Prominent" alert under Haptics in settings?

Yes i have turned on "Prominent" instead of Default.
[doublepost=1542661526][/doublepost]
You mentioned that you were driving in the car. Is your phone connected to to the car via Bluetooth and if it is, does your car have the Bluetooth message access profile set up? If so, then it’s probably because the phone is sending the notifications to the car instead of the watch. This is an issue I am having. I know it’s not a limitation of Bluetooth, especially Bluetooth 5 since my old Samsung devices handled this without issue. Same with phone calls. Phone and car will ring but Watch doesn’t.

Thanks for the info, i honestly didn't think about that so that would explain why it doesn't work in the car, at times.. but again it happens outside of the car. So there's definitely something going on.
[doublepost=1542661633][/doublepost]UPDATE: I called Apple support to express my frustrations. I was told to reset the phone and watch; then if that doesn't work, to unpair the watch and go through the pairing process again. So i'll let you know if that resolves it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tromboneaholic
So the reset didn't work and the unpairing didn't work either. I just googled the topic and one thing i noticed is i don't see the option on my apple watch settings -> sounds & haptics -> Haptic strength. Haptic strength is not showing at all. This could be the problem. I'm going to go by the Apple store tomorrow and see wth is going on.
 
So the reset didn't work and the unpairing didn't work either. I just googled the topic and one thing i noticed is i don't see the option on my apple watch settings -> sounds & haptics -> Haptic strength. Haptic strength is not showing at all. This could be the problem. I'm going to go by the Apple store tomorrow and see wth is going on.
Haptic strength setting is no longer an option.
 
UPDATE: Took my watch in yesterday to the Apple store, had to wait freaking 3 hrs before i could get seen b/c an apt would've put me into next week. So my current watch setting is set to "Mirror my iPhone". Again with this setting i'm able to feel the haptic with emails, facebook messenger, pretty much everything except for my text messages. They COULD NOT figure it out. One thing i can do is select "Custom" and then turn Haptic on. When this was done, i was able to feel the haptic for text messages. But my thing is that shouldn't have to be the case or am i wrong? Does anyone have their phone on "mirror my iPhone" and you feel the haptic for texts or is it set to custom?

So they told me i should go to AT&T since that's where i ordered it from b/c i have the LTE service and return it so they can send me a new one. I'm still within my 14 day return policy. What do you guys think?
 
Does anyone have their phone on "mirror my iPhone" and you feel the haptic for texts or is it set to custom?

I have "mirror my iPhone" and get haptic notifications for SMS texts and iMessage on my Watch.

I do have "Prominent" selected under Sounds & Haptics in Watch Settings. I don't know if that makes a difference.
 
I have "mirror my iPhone" and get haptic notifications for SMS texts and iMessage on my Watch.

I do have "Prominent" selected under Sounds & Haptics in Watch Settings. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Yes i have Prominent selected for mine as well.
[doublepost=1542813800][/doublepost]I noticed there was an update for the apple watch last night. so i'm going to see if that fixes the issue
 
Yes it is...you have "Default" & "Prominent".
There used to be a setting for "haptic strength" that has been removed.

Screen Shot 2018-11-21 at 11.18.33 AM.png
 
I could be wrong on this but I vaguely remember something about if the phone screen is on, the notification won’t go through to the watch? ios makes the assumption that if you saw it on your iPhone then it doesn’t need to push a redundant notification to your watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tromboneaholic
I have this on my iphone when im around my mac. If i want to receive messages notifi on my iphone,i have to turn off Bluetooth
 
Cut from a chat with Apple:

melissa
Thanks for contacting Apple Support. How can I help you?

Lenny
Why is it when my phone is locked i hear the audible alert on my watch but not the phone? When the phone is unlocked I only hear the ring tone on the phone and nothing on the watch?

melissa
Okay! I am here to help, and assure you I'll do all that I can to assist you today! Before we begin I do need to ask a few questions to further isolate, sound good?

Lenny
I want to hear both ring regardless if phone is locked or not

Lenny
ok

melissa
When it comes to the notifications on the Apple watch, Notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone, but not both.

melissa
If your iPhone is unlocked, you'll get notifications on your iPhone, instead of your Apple Watch

Lenny
So if i walk away from my phone and it is unlocked I would never know I received a text?

melissa
If your iPhone is locked or asleep, you'll get notifications on your Apple Watch, unless your Apple Watch is locked with your passcode.

Lenny
When I receive a phone call I hear ring tones on both.

melissa
If the device is unlocked that is correct, however after a period of time if the settings are set to lock fter a period of time

Lenny
So it handles phone and text different?

melissa
Yes, that is correct the notifications are seperate
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.