New to the Apple Watch: How do Message notifications work?

[Aggedor]

Love my new series 8 Apple Watch, but one main reason I got it was so I would never miss messages/text messages from my wife. However, no matter what notification settings I chose, I only seem to get half the notifications for messages.

I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max on iOS 16.3.1 and Apple Watch series 8 on watchOS 9.3.1.

On the iPhone, my settings for messages look like this:

In the Watch app, the Messages notifications are currently on Mirror my iPhone. It doesn't seem to matter if I change it to custom, I'm still not getting most Message notifications:

Basically I want my watch to bleep and vibrate, and show me the message/text, every time I get a message/text.

Can someone guide me through the settings? What am I missing here. This is all new to me!

 

[chadamorrill]

Looks right to me. Have you set the Settings / Haptics to "Prominent?" Also, check your "Notifications" settings to make sure Messages are set properly (not Settings / Messages, but Settings / Notifications / Messages).

Mine are set (on the watch) to mirror my phone with the additional detail below that checkmark stating "Repeat alerts: once; Don't send read receipts." I've not noticed a time where I don't receive an alert, but mine are rarely critical.

I'd recommend power cycling the phone and the watch, then testing with a friend to make sure you're getting them the way you want.

 

[Significant1]

If you are using the phone, it will show notifications on the phone and only the phone, not the watch, if I recall correctly.

 

[Aggedor]

If you are using the phone, it will show notifications on the phone and only the phone, not the watch, if I recall correctly.

That makes sense. I wonder if the issue I am having is to do with me using my MBA (all on the same Apple ID). I've just turned message forwarding on to my other devices listed (MBA and iPad - both were off). A friend just texted and I got the message on my MBA and my watch. (Although weirdly not my phone).

I'm sure this is more complicated than it should be!

 

[chadamorrill]

For what it's worth, I was browsing the web on my MBA just now, received a message on the Messages app, and a second later my watch buzzed with that same message. Perhaps it doesn't alert the watch only if the application is active (not in the background)?

 

[xraydoc]

Although weirdly not my phone

The phone & watch work together. You'll get notifications on your watch only, unless you're using your iPhone (screen on), then it'll go to the phone and not the watch.
So bottom line is notifications will show up on one or the other, but not both simultaneously.
Apple figures that if you're actively using your phone, the notifications will show up in front of your eyes on the phone, so doesn't need to go to the watch. If your phone is locked, then they go to your wrist.
Will be that way for all notifications - phone vs. watch.

 

[Aggedor]

The phone & watch work together. You'll get notifications on your watch only, unless you're using your iPhone (screen on), then it'll go to the phone and not the watch.
So bottom line is notifications will show up on one or the other, but not both simultaneously.
Apple figures that if you're actively using your phone, the notifications will show up in front of your eyes on the phone, so doesn't need to go to the watch. If your phone is locked, then they go to your wrist.
Will be that way for all notifications - phone vs. watch.

Yeah that makes sense, but I was fairly sure I was missing messages on my watch when my phone was locked - it was only later, when I picked my phone up, that I saw there were messages sitting in the phone notifications.

So what does the Mirror my iPhone setting do, versus custom?

 

[xraydoc]

Yeah that makes sense, but I was fairly sure I was missing messages on my watch when my phone was locked - it was only later, when I picked my phone up, that I saw there were messages sitting in the phone notifications.

So what does the Mirror my iPhone setting do, versus custom?

You can make the number of re-notifications different than on your phone, make them silent on the watch while still audible on the phone, and other options in your screenshot. Mirror just uses the same settings from your phone.

If you feel like you’re missing some, turn on prominent haptics. It’s less apt to be missed. And for good measure, reboot everything.