Galaxy Watch not getting notifications? 9 fixes that work

Your phone buzzes with a new message. Your Galaxy Watch stays quiet. Or the watch worked yesterday and today it shows nothing from WhatsApp, Gmail or texts. Missing notifications are one of the most common Galaxy Watch complaints, and they are usually caused by a setting and not by a faulty watch. Samsung's own support page lists the settings that control them, and the rest comes from fixes that users report. Below are nine fixes, in the order that clears most cases, from the quick checks to a full re-pair.

Why is your Galaxy Watch not getting notifications?

• A setting hides them. Samsung's Smart device selection can hide watch alerts while you use your phone.
• The app is switched off. Each app has its own notification switch for the watch.
• A silent mode is on. Do Not Disturb, Theater mode and Goodnight mode can mute the watch.
• The watch is not connected. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi may have dropped, or the phone's Galaxy Wearable app may have been stopped.
• Battery limits. The phone may restrict the Galaxy Wearable app in the background.
• Old software. A bug in an old version can stop alerts.

Fix 1: Check that the watch is connected

Open the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone and look at the connection status. It should say Connected. On the watch, swipe down from the top of the watch face and check that the Bluetooth icon is blue. If the watch is disconnected, turn Bluetooth off and on again on the phone and on the watch, then wait a few seconds. If it keeps dropping, our guide on Bluetooth that keeps disconnecting helps. Notifications cannot arrive without a connection.

Fix 2: Change Phone notifications on watch

This is the setting that catches most people. Samsung's page says to check Phone notifications on watch. The option Smart device selection hides watch notifications while you use your phone, which can look like the watch has stopped working. To get alerts on both, choose Always show on both, which sounds and vibrates on both devices.

Fix 3: Turn on each app under App notifications

A watch only shows alerts for apps that are switched on. In the Galaxy Wearable app, go to Watch settings, tap Notifications, then App notifications. Use the dropdown and choose All, since the watch apps and phone apps are in separate lists. Switch on the app you are missing, or use the switch next to Allow all. Apps that have notifications turned off on the phone appear under Apps with notifications turned off on phone at the bottom. If an app is listed there, turn its notifications on in the phone's own settings first.

You can also check from the watch. Open Settings, tap Notifications, tap App notifications, then tap an app and use its switch. Menu names can differ on older Galaxy Watch models and with the Samsung Galaxy Watch app for iPhone, so look for the Notifications section if a name does not match.

Fix 4: Turn off Do Not Disturb, Theater mode and Goodnight mode

Silent modes are a common reason for a quiet watch. Swipe down on the watch face and check the quick panel. Turn off Do Not Disturb, Theater mode and Goodnight mode if any is on. Also check Do Not Disturb and sleep schedules on the phone, because a mode on the phone can follow the watch. Samsung's notification page does not describe these modes, but many community answers name them as the cause.

Fix 5: Check the notification options on the phone

The watch only mirrors what the phone receives. Open the phone's Settings, tap Notifications and make sure the app you want is allowed. Then check the special access list. The Galaxy Wearable app needs access to notifications, and the exact menu varies by One UI version: look in Settings, Apps, the three dot menu, Special access, Notification access, and make sure Galaxy Wearable is on. If you have trouble with alerts on the phone itself, see our guide on Android notifications not showing.

Fix 6: Turn on the screen and details options

Sometimes the alert arrives but you do not notice it. Under Watch settings, Notifications, Advanced settings, Samsung lists options such as Turn on screen when notifications received, Show details automatically when checking notifications and a New notification indicator on watch face. Turn them on so the screen wakes and the alert is easy to see. Note that muted notifications do not wake the screen. One community user fixed missing Google Messages alerts by switching off the per app Custom watch notification style, so try that if only one app is silent.

Fix 7: Remove battery limits on the Galaxy Wearable app

To save power, the phone can stop apps from running in the background, which cuts the link to the watch. Open the phone's Settings, tap Apps, tap Galaxy Wearable, tap Battery and choose Unrestricted, or the option that lets the app run in the background. Do the same for the Galaxy Watch plugin if you see it listed. The menu names vary, and community answers also suggest a quick toggle of notification sync off and on.

Fix 8: Restart both devices and update

Restart the watch from its power menu and restart the phone. Then check for updates. In the Galaxy Wearable app, open Watch settings, tap Watch software update. Update the Wearable app and the watch plugin in the Play Store as well. Software bugs can cause alerts to stop, and an update may fix them. See our guide on how to update an Android phone if the phone itself is behind.

Fix 9: Re-pair the watch (last resort)

If nothing else works, disconnect and set up the watch again. This removes the pairing and can fix a stuck connection. In the Galaxy Wearable app, open the menu, remove or disconnect the watch, and then set it up again. You may need to restore watch faces and some settings, so back up first if the app offers it. A full factory reset of the watch is the final step, and only if re-pairing fails. If the watch asks you to authenticate, see Galaxy Watch authentication required.

Do you need the phone nearby to get notifications?

Yes, for most setups. The watch gets alerts through the phone, so it needs a connection to it. Bluetooth works over a short distance, and a model with Wi-Fi or LTE can keep the link going when you walk away, as long as the phone is on and online. If you leave the phone at home with Bluetooth only, the alerts stop until you are back in range. On a watch that has its own mobile plan, check that the plan is active. If alerts stop whenever you walk to another room, look at Bluetooth range and at any battery saving settings that turn off Wi-Fi on the watch.

Why does only one app not show on the watch?

If WhatsApp, Gmail or Messages is missing while others work, the problem is that app's settings. Check that the app is on in the Wearable app list, that its notifications are allowed on the phone, and that you have not muted the chat or the conversation inside the app. Some apps also ignore the watch when you are looking at the phone screen. If it still does not work, clear the app's cache on the phone or reinstall it.

Still not getting notifications?

Try a different app on the same watch to learn whether it is one app or all. Check whether the problem started after an update, and look for a newer one. If your watch buzzes for calls but not for messages, check the messaging app's settings on the phone. If you still get nothing, Samsung Support can look at the watch, and its community threads often mention a fix for your exact model. If the watch also keeps opening payment screens, see Galaxy Watch keeps opening Samsung Pay.