WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. It allows you to easily message and call friends and family. One of the convenient features of WhatsApp is that it can integrate with smartwatches like the Apple Watch. This allows you to quickly view and respond to WhatsApp messages right from your wrist. However, many users have found that while they can view WhatsApp messages on their Apple Watch, it does not actually ring or notify you when new messages arrive. So why does WhatsApp not ring or provide notifications on the Apple Watch?
Limitations of WhatsApp Support on watchOS
The main reason WhatsApp does not directly provide notifications on Apple Watch is due to limitations in the watchOS platform. Currently, third-party apps like WhatsApp have restricted background refresh abilities on watchOS. This means the WhatsApp app is not able to consistently run in the background and request updates from the phone. Without consistent background refresh, WhatsApp is unable to reliably push notifications to the Apple Watch when new messages arrive on your phone.
Instead, WhatsApp notifications rely on being forwarded from the paired iPhone. But notifications are not always reliably forwarded, so you may not get notified of new WhatsApp messages. This limitation is not WhatsApp specific, but affects many third-party apps on watchOS. Unless background refresh APIs are expanded, direct notifications from third-party apps like WhatsApp will remain inconsistent on Apple Watch.
Workarounds to Receive WhatsApp Notifications
While you can’t get native WhatsApp notifications, there are some workarounds so that you don’t miss messages:
- Enable Mirror iPhone Alerts – This sets your Apple Watch to mirror all notifications from your iPhone. Since it depends on notification forwarding, some delays are still possible.
- Use a Third-Party App – Some third-party apps like WatchChat 2 can provide notifications for WhatsApp messages. But reliability may vary.
- Disable Battery Saving – Make sure WhatsApp background refresh is not disabled to optimize battery life. Having it always active may help.
- Open WhatsApp Frequently – Manually open the WhatsApp app on your Apple Watch periodically to sync new messages.
While not ideal, using these tips can help ensure you don’t miss important WhatsApp messages and calls on your Apple Watch. And over time, watchOS improvements may enable more reliable WhatsApp notifications directly on the Apple Watch.
When Will Native WhatsApp Notifications Come to Apple Watch?
WhatsApp has acknowledged notifications are an issue on Apple Watch and a native solution is needed. However, the company has not provided details on timeline or status of improvements. Ultimately, WhatsApp notification support will depend on whether Apple opens up background refresh limits for third-party apps in a future watchOS update.
watchOS 9 is expected to be announced at WWDC 2022. There is hope this update could finally expand background APIs. If so, we may see WhatsApp and other apps directly integrate notifications soon after. But if background limits remain, unreliable notification forwarding will likely persist.
For now, WhatsApp for Apple Watch remains useful for quickly checking messages. But keep expectations low for native notifications until watchOS provides expanded background capabilities.
Why WhatsApp for Apple Watch Still Has Value
Despite the lack of reliable notifications, WhatsApp on the Apple Watch still brings value:
- Quickly check messages – Scroll through new messages and conversations directly from your wrist.
- See who messaged – View senders and preview messages without taking your phone out.
- Catch up after long periods – Check WhatsApp after hours of not using your phone.
- Avoid phone distractions – Keep your phone away but still review WhatsApp contacts.
- Discreet communications – Subtly check and send messages from your watch in meetings or at events.
While you may miss some alerts, having your WhatsApp access on your wrist is still useful. And the app experience is sure to improve after more technical limitations are lifted by Apple.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp on Apple Watch
If you are having issues getting WhatsApp working properly on your Apple Watch at all, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Update apps – Make sure both the iPhone and Watch apps are updated to latest versions.
- Re-pair watch – Unpair then re-pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone.
- Force close apps – Force close the WhatsApp apps on both devices.
- Check notifications – Make sure WhatsApp notifications are enabled in Settings on both devices.
- Restart devices – Restart both the iPhone and Apple Watch.
In most cases, basic troubleshooting should get WhatsApp working again on Apple Watch. Just make sure to manage notification expectations until direct support is provided.
Conclusion
The lack of reliable WhatsApp notifications on Apple Watch is primarily due to limits in the watchOS platform that prevent background refreshing for third-party apps. Until Apple makes improvements, notifications will continue to be inconsistent and delayed. However, with workarounds like mirroring iPhone alerts, you can still get some WhatsApp support on your Apple Watch for glancing at and sending messages.
While not ideal yet, WhatsApp on the Apple Watch still brings value for discreetly managing conversations and contacts from your wrist. And notification reliability will likely improve after Apple expands background APIs in a future watchOS update. But for now, be sure to keep notifications enabled and frequently open the WhatsApp app on your Apple Watch to stay up to date.