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Is Your Apple Watch Not Ringing?

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One of the many reasons why most people get an Apple Watch is convenience. There are some people who don’t hold their iPhones in their hands all the time. An Apple Watch allows users to stay connected despite their iPhones being hidden deep inside their bags. Whether your iPhone is locked or asleep, your Apple Watch should still be able to receive notifications and incoming calls. So if it doesn’t, there must be something wrong with your Apple Watch settings.

Should this be the case, here are some ways you can fix your Apple Watch so that it rings again:

  1. Turn off the Do Not Disturb feature.

Check your Do Not Disturb settings on your iPhone or your Apple Watch. If this feature is turned on, then your Apple Watch certainly won’t notify or “disturb” you of any incoming calls. Simply go to Settings and disable the Do Not Disturb feature. In addition, also make sure that your iPhone is not on Silent mode, as this will also disable any ringing through your Apple Watch. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and turn off the Cover to Mute feature the Sound and Haptics section.

  1. Turn off the Notification Privacy feature.

Similarly, you should also check the Notification Privacy feature on your Watch app. This feature might be hindering any alerts regarding incoming calls on your Apple Watch. Just open the Watch app on your iPhone and select My Watch. From there, tap on Notifications and turn off Notification Privacy. You should also follow this step on your Apple Watch. Plus, make sure that the notification settings on your Apple Watch mirror your iPhone’s. Do note that your iPhone must be connected to the Internet in order to receive notifications.

  1. Restart both your iPhone and your Apple Watch.

If you’ve checked both features in your Settings app and it still won’t work, try restarting both your iPhone and your Apple Watch. Restarting these devices helps in resolving any temporary technical issues. Just press and hold the side button of your Apple Watch until a slider appears. Swipe the slider and your Apple Watch should turn off. Wait for a few seconds before pressing and holding the side button once again to turn it on. The Apple logo should appear on the screen. To restart your iPhone, the process depends on the model that you currently have. After restarting both devices, check if it worked for your Apple Watch.

  1. Disable the passcode on your Apple Watch.

Do you have a passcode on your Apple Watch? If the answer is yes, try turning it off temporarily and see if that resolves the issue. To do this, go to your Apple Watch settings and select Passcode. From there, choose Turn Passcode Off. Then, try calling your iPhone from a different device and see if the incoming call alert rings on your Apple Watch.

  1. Turn on the Wake Screen feature.

If you’re new to Apple Watch, you might not be aware that its display does not automatically turn on even when you’re receiving an incoming call alert. You can actually change this and wake your Apple Watch display when you raise your wrist by enabling the Wake Screen feature. Simply open the Watch app on your iPhone and go to My Watch tab. From there, select General and choose Wake Screen. Turn on this feature from Wrist Raise.

  1. Make sure that your iPhone and Apple Watch are updated.

Another reason why your Apple Watch is not ringing might be because it’s not updated. The same can be said about your iPhone. If any of these devices are not updated, try updating them first and check if you’ll still face the same issue. Simply open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General. Near the top of the list is Software Update, where you will see if there are any updates available for your iPhone.

As for your Apple Watch, go to its Settings and tap on General. Select Software Update and you will see if there’s one available. If there is, the display should show you how to proceed with the download and installation.

  1. Unpair and re-pair your devices.

If they’re both updated and the settings are also correct, consider unpairing your Apple Watch from your iPhone. Then, try to pair them again. After this, check if your problem has been resolved.

Picture of Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

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