Stop iPhone (and CarPlay) From Taking Over Apple Watch?

[boltjames]

So I just got my first Apple Watch, the Ultra, and I'm enjoying it so far except for one problem that I could use help on.

My iPhone, and I think CarPlay too, are taking over the Watch when I don't want it to. Some examples:

* While wearing my Watch, I pick up my iPhone, launch the MLB app, and watch a highlights video of today's wildcard game. I look at my watch to tell the time and the screen is showing me the MLB app with the score of the game I'm watching the highlights of on the iPhone.

* While wearing my Watch, I get in my car, the iPhone connects to CarPlay, it starts playing the song I was listening to hours earlier, I start to drive, and when I glance down at my Watch it's showing me skip/play/pause controls for the song that's playing when I want to check the time.

* While wearing my Watch, I get an iMessage from my daughter and the alert sound comes from my Watch, the notification takes over the Watch screen, and not my iPhone that's sitting 6" away.

How can one wear the Watch without it being taken over by these other interactions on the iPhone and/or CarPlay? I thought that the Watch can tell that it's in close proximity to the iPhone and therefore would let the iPhone have priority for these tasks and not either a) augment them or b) duplicate them. I want the Watch to be just a watch when connected to the iPhone and be an independent entity when the iPhone isn't around and the Watch is working over cellular. Can I do this?

 

[russell_314]

So I just got my first Apple Watch, the Ultra, and I'm enjoying it so far except for one problem that I could use help on.

My iPhone, and I think CarPlay too, are taking over the Watch when I don't want it to. Some examples:

* While wearing my Watch, I pick up my iPhone, launch the MLB app, and watch a highlights video of today's wildcard game. I look at my watch to tell the time and the screen is showing me the MLB app with the score of the game I'm watching the highlights of on the iPhone.

* While wearing my Watch, I get in my car, the iPhone connects to CarPlay, it starts playing the song I was listening to hours earlier, I start to drive, and when I glance down at my Watch it's showing me skip/play/pause controls for the song that's playing when I want to check the time.

* While wearing my Watch, I get an iMessage from my daughter and the alert sound comes from my Watch, the notification takes over the Watch screen, and not my iPhone that's sitting 6" away.

How can one wear the Watch without it being taken over by these other interactions on the iPhone and/or CarPlay? I thought that the Watch can tell that it's in close proximity to the iPhone and therefore would let the iPhone have priority for these tasks and not either a) augment them or b) duplicate them. I want the Watch to be just a watch when connected to the iPhone and be an independent entity when the iPhone isn't around and the Watch is working over cellular. Can I do this?

A major purpose of the watch is notifications. So you expect not to give notifications if it’s close to your iPhone? Most people have their iPhone in their pocket so watch would never give notifications.

You can turn off the now playing feature on the watch. I’ll have to look it up real quick.

 

[russell_314]

I can’t verify if this is currently the same way since I don’t have my watch on now

How to Stop Your Apple Watch From Launching the 'Now Playing' App When Audio Plays on Your iPhone

Most Apple Watch owners will recognize the "Now Playing" app – it automatically launches by default whenever you play audio through the Music...

www.macrumors.com

 

[boltjames]

I can’t verify if this is currently the same way since I don’t have my watch on now

How to Stop Your Apple Watch From Launching the 'Now Playing' App When Audio Plays on Your iPhone

Most Apple Watch owners will recognize the "Now Playing" app – it automatically launches by default whenever you play audio through the Music...

www.macrumors.com

Thank you! That helped with the annoying Music interference.

Any other helpful hints to solve the other problems?

 

[boltjames]

A major purpose of the watch is notifications. So you expect not to give notifications if it’s close to your iPhone? Most people have their iPhone in their pocket so watch would never give notifications.

You can turn off the now playing feature on the watch. I’ll have to look it up real quick.

Watching a video on my iPhone on the MLB app and then having my watch show me the score on its MLB app is not a notification. That is unwanted information.

Same for listening to Apple Music on CarPlay with its own set of controls both on the touchscreen, on my dashboard, on my steering wheel, and with my voice… That’s 4 different ways I can control music playback… I don’t need it also on the face of my watch.

 

[Howard2k]

Watching a video on my iPhone on the MLB app and then having my watch show me the score on its MLB app is not a notification. That is unwanted information.

Same for listening to Apple Music on CarPlay with its own set of controls both on the touchscreen, on my dashboard, on my steering wheel, and with my voice… That’s 4 different ways I can control music playback… I don’t need it also on the face of my watch.

1) Delete the MLB app. I'm assuming you've checked settings and there is nothing valid there.
2) From the Watch app on the phone, go to General, Auto-Launch, and uncheck Auto-launch Audio Apps

 

[boltjames]

1) Delete the MLB app. I'm assuming you've checked settings and there is nothing valid there.
2) From the Watch app on the phone, go to General, Auto-Launch, and uncheck Auto-launch Audio Apps

Done. Thank you.

For iMessage, is there a way to make it so that the only time I get text alerts on my watch is when the watch is untethered from my phone and operating solely through cellular? When my watch is connected to my phone I only want text alerts on my phone. When I am jogging and using my watch on cellular, I want to text alerts only on my watch. Possible?

 

[Howard2k]

I think you might be able to do that with a custom workout focus that enables notifications for texts but nothing else. But actually I’m not sure if it actually enables notifications or just allows them to pass through if they’re enabled.

I’ve played around with focus only enough to know that it might be able to do this, but haven’t messed with it too much.