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Apple Watch Walkie-Talkie Not Working? Try These 5 Fixes

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My goal with this troubleshooting guide is simple. I’ll tell you why Apple Watch Walkie-Talkie is not working for you. And then give you some quick, easy fixes to get the app working on the smartwatch again.

To begin with:

Walkie-Talkie isn’t working on your Apple Watch because of poor internet connection, a system glitch, or an outdated watchOS. You may have disabled the Walkie-Talkie feature or the FaceTime app is not working on the watch.

So if you’re unable to start a chat with your friend on the service, it’s important that you address these issues first and try again.

Why Is My Apple Watch Walkie-Talkie Not Working?

If you’re unable to use Walkie-Talkie on your Apple Watch, it could be for one or many of the following reasons:

 Probable CausePossible Solution
1.FaceTime app is not working.Ensure you’ve installed and configured FaceTime on you iPhone.
2.You’ve not connected to the internet.Check your Internet connection and ensure you have proper access.
3.The Walkie-Talkie feature is inactive.Enable Walkie-Talkie on your Apple Watch.
4.Your Apple Watch or iPhone has developed a system glitch.You should restart the Apple Watch as well as the iPhone.
5.You don’t meet Walkie-Talkie requirements.Check if you meet the requirements. Check for more information in the fix section of this guide.

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How to Fix Walkie-Talkie Not Working on Apple Watch

I’ve spent hours trying to understand why the Walkie-Talkie app won’t work on the Apple Watch at times. In the end, I came up with 9 easy fixes to help you fix the problem.

Let’s have a look:

1. Enable Walkie-Talkie on Your Apple Watch 

It’s highly likely that you’re unable to use the Walkie-Talkie app because it’s not active on your Apple Watch.

So the first thing you need to do is to ensure that you actually have the app activated on your smartwatch.

To do this:

  • Press the Digital Crown.
  • Select the Walkie-Talkie app.
  • Toggle the app’s switch to activate the feature. V

And that’s it.

2. Activate FaceTime on Your iPhone

The first rule of thumb is that you can’t use the Walkie-Talkie app on your Apple Watch if you don’t have FaceTime installed and activated on your iPhone.

I have no idea why Apple came up with such a combination, but that’s their ecosystem anyways. And you and I both have to play by their rules.

Therefore, if you haven’t set up FaceTime on your iPhone or you deactivated it intentionally, you’re going to have to ensure the app is active.

Below is a short video that shows you exactly how to activate FaceTime on your iPhone – if you don’t already know how to do that:

3. Check Your Internet Connection

Walkie-Talkie isn’t going to work on your Apple Watch if you don’t have a reliable internet connection.

To be clear, you don’t have to worry if your connection failed. Downtimes are normal and often tend to resolve automatically. So sometimes, all you have to do is wait.

It also helps to turn off your Wi-Fi network and turn it back on again, as doing so can help to reset memory and free up space for a faster and stable Wi-Fi connection.

4. Restart Your Apple Watch

In theory, your Apple Watch is a wearable that should work perfectly to give you the best value for your investment.

But that’s never the case when it comes to actual performance. I’ve had instances when my Apple Watch Series 6 froze and apps wouldn’t work properly.

Fortunately, restarting the watch often fixes system glitches, which is exactly what I recommend you do if you can’t get Walkie-Talkie to work on your Apple Watch. 

To restart the watch:

  • Press and hold the side button and the Digital Crown until you see the power off slider.
  • Drag the slider to the right.
  • Then, hold down the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

And that’s it.

5. Upgrade Your Gear

If the Walkie-Talkie app is not available to your Apple Watch and iPhone, it’s likely that you haven’t met the minimum requirements to use the service. 

Apple has clear rules for this. They state clearly that the app is compatible with Apple Watch Series 1 or later, as long as the smartwatch runs on watchOS 5.3 or later.

Furthermore, you’ll need to have an iPhone for the configuration to work, as an Apple Watch can’t work with Android.

I should also mention that your iPhone should be running on iOS version 12.4 or later for the configuration to work.

6. Edit Contacts that Don’t Work

Here’s the deal:

Walkie-Talkie is an application that works based on invitation. Therefore, you must have the right contact information to send an invite to your friends or family members to this communication service.

Unfortunately, an error may occur when adding contacts, and that’s mostly because of wrong contact configuration.

Even then, this problem is easy to fix.

  • Delete the number from your list.
  • Add the number using the right format.
  • Send a Walkie-Talkie invite to the contact.

7. Update Your Apple Watch

I’ve learned from using my Apple Watch Series 6 that updating the firmware to the latest version helps to fix many issues, including the Walkie-Talkie not working.

Therefore, I strongly suggest that you update the watchOS to the current version, particularly if you haven’t done so for a while.

  • Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 
  • Tap “My Watch” option.
  • Select General.
  • Tap on Software update, download, and install an update if there’s one.

Once the update process is complete, launch Walkie-Talkie app and call your friend to test if the service works. 

8. Uninstall and then Re-install the Walkie-Talkie App

Your other option is to uninstall and reinstall the Walkie-Talkie app if it isn’t working on your Apple Watch.

Doing so is a reasonable approach, as you’re introducing a fresh install that doesn’t have potential bugs known to cause system glitches. 

Once you have deleted the app from your Apple Watch:

  • Press the Digital Crown to go to the home screen.
  • Tap the App Store.
  • Use the search field to find the Walkie-Talkie app.
  • Reinstall the app by tapping the cloud icon next to it.

Hopefully this fixes the problem for you.

9. Reset Your Apple Watch

To be honest, this is the worst solution to fixing the Walkie-Talkie problem. That’s because you’re going to lose all your data, including your contact list.

You must consider this option only as the last resort if all the other solutions I’ve suggested in this troubleshooting guide fail. And you must proceed with caution.

To reset the Apple Watch: 

  • Press and hold the side button until you see the power icon at the upper-right corner of the display.
  • Press and hold the Digital Crown until you see the Erase All Content and Settings option.
  • Tap Reset.
  • Tap Reset again to confirm.
  • Wait for your Apple Watch to update.

The last steps are to setup the Apple Watch and to configure the Walkie-Talkie app on the smartwatch.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Am I Not Receiving Walkie-Talkie Invites on Apple Watch?

You’re not getting Walkie-Talkie invites because you haven’t signed in to the service with your Apple ID.

Once you sign in with your Apple ID:

  • Open the Walkie-Talkie app.
  • Select Add friend.
  • Choose a contact.
  • Wait for the contact to accept your invitation.

2. How do I Turn on Walkie-Talkie Notifications on My Apple Watch?

To activate Walkie-Talkie notifications on your Apple Watch:

  • Open the Notification Center on your Apple Watch.
  • Tap Walkie-Talkie.
  • Tap Allow to start getting Walkie-Talkie notifications on the watch.

Also, you should check to ensure that the Do Not Disturb mode is not active. DND tends to silence the phone, which means activating it will bar Walkie-Talkie notifications.

Final Thoughts

Depending on whom you ask, the Walkie-Talkie may be one of the best communication apps for the Apple Watch.

For example, if you’re walking on the street and you lose contact with a friend or family member, you can just open the app and get in touch with them – as long as they meet the requirements to use the service.

There may be times when the app fails to launch. Or, you may lose contact all of a sudden in the middle of a conversation for one reason or the other.

But should you ever run into a situation where you can’t get Walkie-Talkie to work on your Apple Watch, remember the solutions I’ve shared in this guide and implement them to get the device back on track.

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Michael Jonathan

Michael Jonathan is the brainchild of Apelo Studio. He loves talking about wearable devices, and he is passionate about helping you push your wearable device to its limits. His creativity and ability to tear electric components apart and put them back together makes him an incredible troubleshooter and blogger.

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