I’ve had moments when my Samsung Galaxy Active 3 couldn’t get text messages and call alerts. So I completely understand how frustrating it is if your watch is not getting notifications.
But what causes the problem in the first place? And, what can you do to fix it?
Technically, your Galaxy Watch is not getting notifications because Bluetooth is off, DND mode is active, the airplane mode is on, or the Galaxy Wearable app is not current. Also, the phone may not be in range with the way, the silent mode may be active, or the watch OS is outdated.
Your Galaxy smartwatch won’t have notifications problem all the time. But it’s important to know how to fix the problem if you ever experience it.
So continue reading to learn how.
Why is My Samsung Galaxy Watch Not Getting Notifications?
It’s highly likely that your Samsung Galaxy Watch is not receiving text messages or call alerts because of the following reasons:
| Probable Cause | Possible Solution | |
| 1. | Bluetooth connection is off. | Make sure the Bluetooth is active on the watch and the phone. |
| 2. | The airplane mode is active. | Disable airplane mode on your phone and on the watch. |
| 3. | DND on your watch is active. | Deactivate the DND mode to start receiving notifications. |
| 4. | Your phone or watch has a system glitch. | You should restart the watch and phone to clear system glitches. |
| 5. | The silent mode is set to active. | Turn off the silent mode on the smartwatch in sound settings. |
| 6. | The watch’s operating system is not up to date. | Install the latest version of the WearOS operating system. |
Note that the recommended solutions apply to all the Samsung smartwatch models, including Active Watch 5, Active Watch 4, Galaxy Active Watch, and Active Watch 2.
How to Get Text Messages and Call Notifications on Galaxy Watch
Here are six things you can do right if your Samsung Galaxy Watch is not getting notifications from your smartphone:
1. Turn on Bluetooth Connection
Your Galaxy smartwatch must be in constant sync with your phone to receive notifications. So Bluetooth connection has to be active all the time.
I understand that turning off Bluetooth is a way to save battery on Galaxy watch. But that also means you’re throwing the opportunity to receive important alerts outside the window.
So activate Bluetooth on your phone and on the watch to keep getting alerts.
2. Disable Airplane Mode
You won’t get any alert if you accidentally or intentionally enabled the airplane mode on your watch or smartphone.
This is a no-brainer to fix. You just have to disable the airplane mode to resume normal operation.
It’s as simple as that.
3. Deactivate the Do Not Disturb (DND) Feature
DND can be useful if you have a busy schedule at work or school and want minimal or no distractions.
If activated, you will still get notifications, but your Galaxy Watch will not vibrate or sound to let you know there’s a new incoming call or text message.
Turn off the Do Not Disturb mode to resume getting notifications.
- Press the home or power button to wake the screen.
- Swipe the screen down to open the control center. You should see the Do Not Disturb icon (a circle with a tiny straight line running in the middle).
- Tap the DND icon to deactivate.
Note that the Do Not Disturb icon should turn black from blue. The icon should also disappear from the clock face when deactivated.
You can also turn off the mode through the settings app.
- Press the home or power button to wake the screen.
- Swipe the display up.
- Tap the gear icon to open settings.
- Select notifications.
- Scroll down and toggle the Do Not Disturb mode off.
4. Restart Your Phone and Watch to Fix Potential System Glitch
Either the paired phone or the watch itself has a system glitch that’s causing performance issues.
Again, this is another easy problem to fix.
- Press and hold down the upper and lower button.
- Release these buttons as soon as the Samsung logo appears on the screen.
- Allow the watch to reboot.
Restarting the watch often helps to solve many problems, including clearing system glitches, freeing up cached memory, and getting the watch back on track.
5. Turn Off the Silent Mode
If you want to get text messages and important call alerts on your Galaxy watch, you need to ensure the silent mode is inactive.
Similar to DND, the silent mode turns off sound and vibration. So even if the Galaxy Wearable or the Samsung Galaxy Watch app sends an alert to your phone, you won’t know immediately.
Of course, the display will light up. But you won’t tell whether there’s a text to read or a call to answer unless you raise your arms and position the watch so it points in you direction.
It’s even tedious to explain, but you do get the idea.
Ultimately, you need to turn off the silent mode so that you can feel your watch vibrate and sound whenever there’s a new notification.
To disable the silent mode:
- Press the home or power button to wake the screen.
- Swipe the screen display down to access controls.
- Tap the speaker icon to switch between different sound modes.
- Leave the speaker icon on the sound mode.
Alternatively, you can turn off this option from your watch’s settings screen. To do so:
- Use the power button to wake the screen.
- Swipe the screen display up to open apps.
- Tap the Settings app.
- Scroll down on the settings page and tap the sounds and vibration.
- Tap the notifications option from the settings screen.
- From the sounds and vibration options, select sound.
And that’s it.
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch is now on sound or general mode. So you will hear a sound or vibration whenever there’s a new notification.
6. Update the Watch’s WearOS Operating System
If you’re not receiving text messages, apps notifications, or call alerts on your Galaxy smartwatch, there’s a high chance the WearOS is not up to date.
And this is a no-brainer to fix.
What you do is to update the firmware to the current version, after which the watch will continue its normal operation.
If you’re using an Android phone:
- Launch the Galaxy Wearable App.
- Tap Watch Settings.
- Scroll and tap Software Update.
For iOS:
- Launch the Samsung Galaxy Watch app on your iPhone.
- Select the Home tab.
- Swipe and tap the About Watch option.
- Tap on Install if a new firmware version is available.
You can also update the firmware right from the Samsung Watch itself. To do so:
- Press the power button.
- Select Settings.
- Tap General and then Update.
- Tap the Checkmark option if prompted to download the update.
The watch will display the progress of the software update as it reboots.
Related Reading
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Won’t Turn On? Check These Fixes
- How to Fix a Samsung Watch that Won’t Count Steps
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Won’t Charge? Let’s Fix It
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why Am I Not Getting WhatsApp Notifications on My Samsung Watch?
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch has stopped receiving WhatsApp notifications your phone is not in range with the watch or the Bluetooth connection is off.
It’s also possible that you have not allowed the Galaxy Wearable app to push WhatsApp text alerts to the watch.
2. How Do I Get Notifications Back On My Galaxy Watch?
To get notifications back and never miss them again, ensure your phone is always close to the watch and the airplane mode is disabled.
Also, note that you must leave the Bluetooth on all the time. And don’t forget to permit your phone to push notifications to the watch through the companion app.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, hardware issues are hardly ever to blame for Samsung Galaxy Watch not receiving notifications.
More often than not, the problem comes down to the settings. And given that I’ve shown you exactly how to fix the problem, this shouldn’t be an issue anymore.
