Apple Watch Series 7 delay on notifications and messages

I’ve done all of the above repeatedly over the year I’ve had the watch. I even once bricked both my phone (iPhone 11 w/iOS updated) and watch (Apple Watch 7, also updated) and started from scratch. Message, Fitness, iPhone alarm control, etc. will randomly work one day a month or thereabouts, if that. The phone and watch can both see and connect to each other with Find My, but it appears that nothing will make my watch 100% work the way it should with this phone.

Hey there kaotik1978,

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities. To get started, are you using your iPhone when you're receiving notifications, or is your iPhone locked or asleep when your iPhone receives the notification?

We ask because if your iPhone is unlocked, your notifications will go to your iPhone instead of your Apple Watch. You can find this information listed in the link here under the "Where notifications appear" section: Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

As for help with not receiving messages to your Apple Watch as expected, check out the steps listed in the following resource that can help: If you can’t send or receive messages on your Apple Watch

1. Check Control Center

If you see the Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode icons on your watch face, you need to turn the settings off in Control Center.

Touch and hold the bottom of the watch face, wait for Control Center to show, then swipe up. Tap the highlighted Do Not Disturb and Airplane Mode icons to turn off the settings.

2. Check your connection

Make sure that your Apple Watch can connect to your iPhone, cellular, or Wi-Fi. To send and receive SMS/MMS from cellular models of Apple Watch, your paired iPhone must be powered on and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, but your iPhone doesn’t need to be nearby.

Even if your iPhone isn’t connected or powered on, you can send and receive iMessages on your Apple Watch when your Apple Watch is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.

Learn how your Apple Watch makes connections and get help if your devices disconnect.

3. Try sending a message from your iPhone

If your iPhone can't send or receive messages, try to fix messages on your iPhone. 

4. Make sure that you signed in

On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app, tap the My Watch tab, then tap General > Apple ID. 

5. Check your iMessage settings

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and make sure that iMessage is turned on.

Then tap Send & Receive and make sure that you're using the same Apple ID that your Apple Watch is using. 

If you aren't signed in, sign in to iMessage with your Apple ID. 

6. Sign out of iMessage

Tap Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Tap your Apple ID, then tap Sign Out. 

Then tap Settings > Messages. Turn iMessage off, then turn it back on.

7. Sign in to iMessage again

Tap Settings > Messages > Send & Receive > Use your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in.

8. Restart your Apple Watch and iPhone

Here's how to restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.

9. Check for updates

Here's how to update your Apple Watch and iPhone.

Let us know if that's able to help.

Have a great day!