Check notification permissions, Focus or Do Not Disturb, and background app access first. Then compare one affected app with others. A paired phone and watch may send an alert to only one screen. Follow the matching model notes before resetting pairing or deleting app data.
Differential
Likely causes of “Apple Watch notifications are missing”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The iPhone is unlocked
What separates it Alerts show on the phone and not the watch
How to confirm This is expected; lock the iPhone and check again
- 2
The watch is locked, on Do Not Disturb or Silent
What separates it Nothing taps your wrist because the watch is locked, on Do Not Disturb or Silent
How to confirm Check Control Center for the moon and bell icons
- 3
The app is set to Notifications Off
What separates it Only some apps are missing because the app is set to Notifications Off
How to confirm Set it to Mirror my iPhone or Allow Notifications in the Watch app
- 4
The watch and iPhone are disconnected
What separates it The red iPhone icon shows and alerts go to the phone
How to confirm Reconnect them as in Apple's article, and test again
- 5
A Focus mode is filtering
What separates it The alerts arrive on a schedule because a Focus mode is filtering them
How to confirm Change the Focus on the iPhone, which mirrors to the watch
- 6
A stuck app or old software
What separates it One app never sends alerts because of a stuck app or old software
How to confirm Update the app and watchOS, and restart both devices
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The model number and watchOS and iOS versions
- Which apps are affected and what their setting is in the Watch app
- Whether the iPhone was unlocked, the watch locked or Do Not Disturb on at the time
- Whether the red iPhone icon shows in Control Center
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck where alerts go
ReversibleRemember alerts go to the iPhone when it is unlocked and to the watch when the iPhone is locked and the watch is on your wrist.
Open Notification Center
ReversibleTouch and hold the top of the watch face, then swipe down to see unread items.
Check the app's setting
ReversibleIn the Watch app, My Watch, Notifications, choose the app and set Allow Notifications or Mirror my iPhone.
Check Do Not Disturb and Focus
ReversibleCheck Do Not Disturb and Focus, by looking for the moon or Focus icon in Control Center and turning it off.
Check the connection
ReversiblePress the side button and look for the red iPhone icon; reconnect as Apple describes.
Restart both devices
ReversibleRestart both devices, by restarting the watch and the iPhone, and testing again, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Unpair only as a last step
ReversibleUnpair only as a last step, and if nothing works, unpair and pair again, restoring from the backup.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Apple Watch (Ultra, Ultra 2, Series 6 to 10 and SE 2) notifications are missing or delayed
- Apple's notifications article explains why they seem to vanish. A notification appears on the watch or the iPhone but not both: if the iPhone is unlocked, alerts go to the iPhone; if the iPhone is locked or asleep, they go to the watch unless the watch is locked. Some apps, such as Noise, only exist on the watch. Reading or dismissing one on the watch dismisses it on the iPhone. To see everything you missed, touch and hold the top of the watch face to open Notification Center. For a missing app, open the Watch app on the iPhone, tap My Watch, then Notifications, and choose Mirror my iPhone or Custom: Allow Notifications, Send to Notification Center, or Notifications Off. If you get none, Apple says to check the connection: the red iPhone icon in Control Center means alerts are going to the iPhone, so fix the link. Do Not Disturb or a locked watch also sends alerts to the iPhone.
- Speaker and haptics by model
- Apple's tech specs list a speaker and Taptic Engine on every model; the Ultra 2 has dual speakers and a siren, and the Series 10 lists a speaker that doubles as an air vent.
- Notification size by model
- The Ultra 2 and Ultra have a 49mm case with a 410 by 502 pixel display; the Series 10 has 42mm and 46mm cases with 374 by 446 and 416 by 496 pixels; the Series 8 and 7 have 41mm and 45mm cases, per Apple's tech specs.
- Repair cost
- Notification settings cost nothing. If the watch does not vibrate or sound after every setting is correct, that is a hardware fault; Apple's out-of-warranty battery service is $99 and broader repairs ran from $199 for an SE 2 to $499 for an Ultra at launch, per MacRumors.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Apple Watch Series 6.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If alerts never arrive with a connected, unlocked pair and correct settings, contact Apple
- !If only one app fails, contact that app's developer
- !If the watch does not vibrate at all, check the haptic setting and book service if it stays silent
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where notifications appear, Notification Center, per-app settings and what to check when you get none.
Reconnecting when notifications fall back to the iPhone.
The last-resort unpair.
Action button and speaker figures for the Ultra.
The Apple Watch line and its generations.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why do I get alerts on my iPhone and not my watch?+
Apple says notifications appear on the iPhone if it is unlocked. They go to the watch when the iPhone is locked or asleep.
How do I see missed notifications?+
Touch and hold the top of the watch face to open Notification Center.
How do I stop one app's alerts?+
Swipe left on the notification, tap the more button and choose to mute it for an hour, the rest of the day or turn it off, per Apple.
Where do I turn an app back on?+
In the Watch app, My Watch, scroll to the app list and turn on the app.
What is Tap to Show Full Notification?+
A privacy setting in the Watch app that shows a summary and requires a tap to see full details.
Why does the watch not buzz?+
Check Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb and haptic strength in Settings, Sounds and Haptics.
Do all apps have custom settings?+
Apple says some apps offer more customization and others can only be turned off completely.
Will the Noise app alert reach the iPhone?+
Apple says apps that only exist on the watch, like Noise, do not send notifications to the iPhone.
Can I group notifications?+
Yes. In the Watch app, choose an app, tap Notification Grouping and choose Off, Automatically or By App.
notifications: model differences
Also covered: Apple Watch Series 7.