How do we select which devices notify of imessage arrival

For the past few weeks I am not getting audible iMessage or other text message notifications on my iPhone 11Pro. Notifications in the notifications center for Messages is turned on for sound and I have selected a sound (Star Wars). The phone volume is reasonable high for other notifications - mail, phone ringing, etc.

I tend to get notifications on my Apple Watch - the notification there is haptic. I often get notifications simultaneously on the watch and desktop. Sometimes it will also show up on the phone.

Do not disturb is turned off.

I find I have missed a few messages recently - discovering that when a few hour later I looked at the phone and saw the unread message.

I don't understand the protocol for priority of message notification when one has multiple devices:watch, iPhone, iPad, desktop - that one is working with or near.

I don't know if I am receiving a haptic message on the watch that I miss, and because it may be the first device to receive the message the phone never send out an audio notification.

Not sure if I am forgetting or unaware of some setting that makes haptic feedback on the watch mute the iPhone.

Posted on May 2, 2020 12:12 PM

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Posted on May 2, 2020 12:22 PM

When you have an iPhone and Watch, notifications appear depending on the status of the iPhone. Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support


If the iPhone is unlocked, then notifications appear on the iPhone. If the iPhone is not in use and locked, then notifications appear on the Watch. Notification sounds on the Watch can be configured in the Watch app on the iPhone.


Now, I have found that if you have an Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone and Mac, that notifications can be tricky. If I'm on my Mac, with everything else close by, I tend to get the notification for a text message first on my Mac, that is if I have it configured for that. It is a toss up as to what comes next, the iPad or Watch. But, when I have everything together like this, I still get the notifications on one or another device.

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May 2, 2020 12:22 PM in response to waldhaus1

When you have an iPhone and Watch, notifications appear depending on the status of the iPhone. Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support


If the iPhone is unlocked, then notifications appear on the iPhone. If the iPhone is not in use and locked, then notifications appear on the Watch. Notification sounds on the Watch can be configured in the Watch app on the iPhone.


Now, I have found that if you have an Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone and Mac, that notifications can be tricky. If I'm on my Mac, with everything else close by, I tend to get the notification for a text message first on my Mac, that is if I have it configured for that. It is a toss up as to what comes next, the iPad or Watch. But, when I have everything together like this, I still get the notifications on one or another device.

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May 2, 2020 6:29 PM in response to waldhaus1

Not sure, but even if you are not near the phone, if you have a Watch, you will not get an audible notification on the iPhone. It is meant to go to the Watch. Like I said in my response, when you have everything together, it can get a little muddled, but when I'm using my computer, it seems to get their first, but I will get it on the Watch a short time later, so you may wish to un-silence the Watch if you are around all of the other thing for a while.

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May 3, 2020 12:43 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

I have set my watch to an audible notification and also to mirror iPhone. Still I would like to get audible notifications on iPhone at times as its notification is much louder.

I guess I need to wait and see if Apple will allow for more fine tuning of notifications for messages.


Thanks for your help.

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How do we select which devices notify of imessage arrival

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