"Notify When Left Behind" not working on my iPhone and Apple Watch

Question

Level 1

15 points

"Notify When Left Behind" not working on my iPhone and Apple Watch

"notify when left behind" does not vibrate my watch. It used to work with my old series 4, but it seems like my new series 9 will not. When left behind, I can see the little symbol that my phone is no longer with me, but there's never a notification. I've tested it several times to make sure, and do not feel any vibration, nor do I see any kind of popup. (I have all of my notifications in vibration mode, sound turned off).

Things I've already tried:

I am sharing my location. Under the Find My app, I've tried turning "notify when left behind" off and back on again just to see if I can "jog" it into working again. I even restarted my phone and watch between each step each time. I've done this a few times.

Twice, I've unpaired my apple watch and restored it completely from scratch (not from backup). My phone and watch working together properly in all of the other ways, and I am getting notifications from other apps (messages, alarms, etc).

I'm all out of ideas!

Iphone 13 Mini and Apple Watch Series 9 (non cellular version), both up to date with their OS.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: "Notify When Left Behind" not working

Apple Watch Series 9

Posted on Aug 15, 2025 02:58 PM

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Answer 1

brbo

Level 8

38,137 points

Aug 15, 2025 08:50 PM in response to nerdybird

Re: "Notify When Left Behind" not working

Wondering if you have checked the settings to see if they are correct, or if they need changing or not:

Apple Support's latest article: Find misplaced devices with Apple Watch - Apple Support (For WatchOS 11):

Eg: says:

"Receive a notification when you’ve left a device behind

To help keep you from misplacing your device, you can receive a notification when you’ve left your device behind. You can also set Trusted Locations—locations where you can leave your device without receiving a notification.

Go to the Find Devices app on your Apple Watch.
Tap the device you want to set up a notification for.
Below Notifications, tap Notify When Left Behind, then turn on Notify When Left Behind.

You can also go to the Find My app on your iPhone, tap Devices, tap the device you want to set up a notification for, then tap Notify When Left Behind. Turn on Notify When Left Behind, then follow the onscreen instructions.

If you want to add a Trusted Location, you can choose a suggested location, or tap New Location, select a location on the map, then tap Done."

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Answer 2

brbo

Level 8

38,137 points

Aug 18, 2025 05:27 PM in response to nerdybird

Thank you for your reply, and for confirming you have precisely followed Apple's method of of notifying you.

___________________________________________________________

Re: (I have all of my notifications in vibration mode, sound turned off).

Wondering if you checked the iPhone's vibration settings in:

Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Vibration

and

Settings > Sound & Haptics > Haptics > (ie: check your choices in "Always Play")

and

Settings > Apps > FindMy > Notifications > Sounds (If off / Try with turned on)

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Answer 3

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 18, 2025 06:16 PM in response to brbo

yep, I have all of those things turned on. the thing is ...I am getting notifications from other apps (messages, alarms, etc), just not the Left Behind.

Under the watch Sounds & Haptics settings, I have my haptics set to "prominent".

On the watch settings, I have Find My set to "allow notifications". Under notifications, I have "mirror iphone alerts from Find My". In my phone's Find My app, "Notify when left behind" is turned on.

On the phone: Settings > Apps > FindMy > Notifications, everything is turned on (allow notifications, time sensitive notifications, all on. under alerts: lock screen / notification center / banners- all on. banner style: persistent. sounds / badges / show in car play: all on. Notification grouping: automatic.)

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Answer 4

Aug 20, 2025 04:41 PM in response to nerdybird

On the iPhone "Settings" choose "Apps" then choose "Find My", then "Notifications", then under "Announce" choose "Announce Notifications" and finally on the next screen under "Announce" choose "All Notifications"

I don't know if this will work but here's hoping.

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Answer 5

brbo

Level 8

38,137 points

Aug 20, 2025 04:52 PM in response to nerdybird

Thank you for your patience, and for your reply.

Thank you too to Doctorpee, for sharing those suggestions in the discussion thread.

Although it is the lack of receiving a vibration that is the issue:

Wondering if something has been overlooked: Apple Support's video may help double-check:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QueTiF5VL44

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Answer 6

BobHarris

Level 9

56,495 points

Aug 20, 2025 05:33 PM in response to nerdybird

My experience has been that I need to be about a 1/4 mile (0.4KM) away before my Apple Watch will notify me that I left my iPhone behind, or an AirTag item.

The AirTag item only notifies me when the item is away from home, such as a coffee shop or when on vacation, and the AirTag is in my rental place.

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Answer 7

6x6

Level 6

18,231 points

Aug 20, 2025 06:36 PM in response to BobHarris

BobHarris wrote:

My experience has been that I need to be about a 1/4 mile (0.4KM) away before my Apple Watch will notify me that I left my iPhone behind, or an AirTag item.

Hi Bob, could you tell us if you have a cellular Apple Watch? I'm wondering if a notification would be received if the Apple Watch has no network at all.

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Answer 8

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 21, 2025 09:10 AM in response to BobHarris

I have tested it three times by leaving it in my car and going into a large store. after about 20 minutes has passed, I'll check and see that there's not even a notification symbol at the top of the lock screen. when I check my watch, it confirms that it has lost connection with the phone.

several years ago, when this feature was working, I would get this notification when I was only halfway across a parking lot.

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Answer 9

LD150

Level 10

95,649 points

Aug 21, 2025 09:16 AM in response to nerdybird

nerdybird wrote:

", I can see the little symbol that my phone is no longer with me, but there's never a notification.

with a gps-only watch that is all the notification that you will get. It is the disconnect icon.

I have seen this before several times. Without the paired phone and no cell service or wifi, your watch doesn't know where your phone is to know it has been left behind. It only knows you lost BT connection.

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Answer 10

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 21, 2025 09:17 AM in response to 6x6

but wh

6x6 wrote:

BobHarris wrote:

My experience has been that I need to be about a 1/4 mile (0.4KM) away before my Apple Watch will notify me that I left my iPhone behind, or an AirTag item.

Hi Bob, could you tell us if you have a cellular Apple Watch? I'm wondering if a notification would be received if the Apple Watch has no network at all.

but why though? shouldn't it be the watch telling me that it has lost connection with the phone? also... if that particular notification was not an option on a non-cellular watch, wouldn't it be greyed out in the settings?

my previous apple watch was a cellular watch, but not added to my carrier (it was a hand-me-down). I operated it only on wifi and bluetooth. yet that watch worked perfectly fine at notifying me if I left my phone behind.

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Answer 11

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 21, 2025 09:42 AM in response to LD150

LD150 wrote:

nerdybird wrote:

", I can see the little symbol that my phone is no longer with me, but there's never a notification.

with a gps-only watch that is all the notification that you will get. It is the disconnect icon.

I have seen this before several times. Without the paired phone and no cell service or wifi, your watch doesn't know where your phone is to know it has been left behind. It only knows you lost BT connection.

thanks, I think that might be the answer, unfortunately.

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Answer 12

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 21, 2025 10:05 AM in response to nerdybird

nerdybird wrote:

LD150 wrote:

nerdybird wrote:

", I can see the little symbol that my phone is no longer with me, but there's never a notification.

with a gps-only watch that is all the notification that you will get. It is the disconnect icon.

I have seen this before several times. Without the paired phone and no cell service or wifi, your watch doesn't know where your phone is to know it has been left behind. It only knows you lost BT connection.

thanks, I think that might be the answer, unfortunately.

Actually, I found a reply in another discussion saying that this guys gps-only watch does give him a notification when he's left his phone behind. so it should be working for me too.

apple watch does not notify left behind w… - Apple Community

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Answer 13

LD150

Level 10

95,649 points

Aug 21, 2025 03:42 PM in response to nerdybird

nerdybird wrote:

LD150 wrote:

nerdybird wrote:

", I can see the little symbol that my phone is no longer with me, but there's never a notification.

with a gps-only watch that is all the notification that you will get. It is the disconnect icon.

I have seen this before several times. Without the paired phone and no cell service or wifi, your watch doesn't know where your phone is to know it has been left behind. It only knows you lost BT connection.

thanks, I think that might be the answer, unfortunately.

Actually, I found a reply in another discussion saying that this guys gps-only watch does give him a notification when he's left his phone behind. so it should be working for me too.

apple watch does not notify left behind w… - Apple Community

Yes I wrote in that 2023 thread that it worked for me. I believe I may have still been in bluetooth range in the store. It hasn't worked since whenever I left the phone in the car. .

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Answer 14

nerdybird Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 25, 2025 10:10 AM in response to LD150

Actually, I found a reply in another discussion saying that this guys gps-only watch does give him a notification when he's left his phone behind. so it should be working for me too.

apple watch does not notify left behind w… - Apple Community

Yes I wrote in that 2023 thread that it worked for me. I believe I may have still been in bluetooth range in the store. It hasn't worked since whenever I left the phone in the car. .

I'm not referring to your comment from that thread, I'm referring to BobHarris, who comfirms that his gps-only apple watch did consistently give him "phone left behind" notifications. so lack of cellular service is not the issue. something else is wrong.

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Answer 15

6x6

Level 6

18,231 points

Aug 25, 2025 11:36 AM in response to LD150

LD150 wrote:

Are you testing this at home, and is your hone an “exception”? It would be by default.

Hello LD150, I was looking at my own settings and Home is indeed added as an exception but I can’t find a way to remove it (it’s grayed out). Is there a way to remove Home from the exceptions?

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