If you enabled the notifications feature when you first got your Apple Watch, chances are you don’t hear your iPhone ring or feel it vibrate anymore. This may be a relieving experience. But soon, you may want to feel the same way about Apple Watch notifications. In this guide, I will walk you through how to silence notifications on your Apple Watch.
What You Should Know About Apple Watch Notifications
It should be noted that notifications from some apps don’t appear on your iPhone. A good example is the Noise app. So, to silence the notifications coming from this app, you have to disable it through your Apple Watch.
When you receive a notification on your Apple Watch you simply need to tap to view its contents. Some apps even allow you to directly reply to a message from your Apple Watch by typing or voice dictation through Siri. If you failed to hear or notice the notifications you can always find if there are unread notifications if the red icon is on top of your Apple Watch screen. You simply swipe down to view the notifications and tap on any of them to read the corresponding message.
How to Silence Notifications on Apple Watch
If you want to silence notifications on your Apple Watch, there are several ways to do so. You can mute notifications, enable Do Not Disturb or Theater Mode, or silence an incoming alert. Follow the steps below to do all three methods of silencing notifications on your Apple Watch.
Mute Your Apple Watch to Silence Sounds on Your Device
You can silence sounds on your device by muting your Apple Watch. Follow the steps below to do this.
Time needed: 1 minute.
Here’s how to mute Apple Watch notifications.
Access the Control Center by swiping up on your Apple Watch face.
Tap on the bell icon to activate Silent Mode.
When your Apple Watch is on Silent Mode, you can still receive notifications via haptic feedback, that throbbing or tapping sensation that you feel on your wrist.
To turn off Haptic Alerts, go to Settings, on either your Watch or Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then toggle off Haptic Alerts.
Remember that even when in Silent Mode, if your Apple Watch is charging you may still have alarms and timers active. Putting your Apple Watch into Silent Mode does not stop notifications from coming in.
Enable Do Not Disturb
When your Apple Watch is in Do Not Disturb mode, you won’t hear sounds when there are incoming calls or alerts. Additionally, your Apple Watch screen will not light up for notifications.
Swipe up on your Apple Watch face to access Control Center.
Tap on the Crescent Moon icon.
Select an option to set the Do Not Disturb duration. If you choose On, your Apple Watch will be in Do Not Disturb mode until you manually change it.
There are two things that you should remember about Do Not Disturb mode on Apple Watch. When it is enabled, alarms will still sound. And activating or deactivating Do Not Disturb mode on Apple Watch will do the same on your iPhone and vice versa.
Enable Theater Mode
If you decide to enable Theater Mode, it will prevent your Apple Watch display from turning on when you raise your wrist. Theater Mode will automatically put your Apple Watch into Silent Mode and will disable the Walkie-Talkie feature. Follow the steps below to enable Theater Mode on your Apple Watch.
Swipe up on your Apple Watch face to access Control Center.
Tap on the Tragedy and Comedy Paired Masks icon.
Go back to the Home Screen and you will see the Mask icon at the top of your Apple Watch display.
Remember, when your Apple Watch is in Theater Mode, you will still receive notifications through haptic feedback. If you want to wake up your Apple Watch from Theater Mode, tap the display or press the side button or Digital Crown.
Use Cover to Mute to Silence Incoming Alert
A quick way to silence an incoming alert is by covering your Apple Watch display with your palm for about three seconds. But for this feature to work out you must enable it via the Watch iPhone app. Simply tap on the Sounds and Haptics, then toggle on Cover to Mute.
How to Enable Haptic Feedback on your Apple Watch
If you want to make your Apple Watch just vibrate when receiving notifications, follow the steps below to make your Apple Watch vibrate for notifications. Go to the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap Sounds & Haptics, then toggle on Haptic Alerts.
Final Words: Maximizing Usage of Notifications on Apple Watch or Not
Now that you know several ways to silence notifications on Apple Watch, it’s up to you whether you disable this feature. Disturbing as it may be from time to time, we can’t discount the fact that Apple Watch notifications have their merits.
For instance, during emergencies when you’re busy with something, notification alerts will help you notice easily whenever there are important urgent messages that need your attention. The bottom line is that you need to weigh the pros and cons of using sound notifications on your Apple Watch.
Tags: Apple Watch, Do Not Disturb, featured, notifications
The Mac Observer
