iPhone notifications not being shown on the Fenix 5x except text and phone calls

I have a brand new Fenix 5x and I am only getting text and phone call notifications appearing on my watch. I am not getting notifications from applications such as WhatsApp or Email. I have checked in my iPhone has all notifications turned on for all the apps I want notifications for. The notifications appear on my iPhone, but my watch is not notifying me.

I have searched the forums and most instructions are for Android phones NOT iPhones. Those instructions for iPhone say to go to the Notification Centre and turn on notifications for the relevant apps. I have done this and the notifications are appearing on my phone proving the notifications are turned on, however the watch is not notifying me.

Is there a setting somewhere where I have to tell the Garmin software which notifications I receive on my iPhone that I want to pass onto my watch?

0 BenBristol over 7 years ago

You’re not doing anything wrong, my watch no longer notifies me either after the latest updates although the messages are in the widget if I check

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

So, my Fenix 5x notifies me of everything EXCEPT iPhone text messaging. I get calls, news feeds and WhatsApp message notification, but not SMS texts. What is going on??? I can't find a setting anywhere that would omit SMS texts and keep everything else?

0 rodtrent over 7 years ago

Happens to me sometimes. Rebooting the iPhone always fixes it.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Mine, to great distraction, reports everything. I'd like to limit a few being passed on to the watch. Dont need Twitter, Instagram, Radar Detector... While I like the notifications on the phone, some I just don't need on the watch.

0 rodtrent over 7 years ago

Mine, to great distraction, reports everything. I'd like to limit a few being passed on to the watch. Dont need Twitter, Instagram, Radar Detector... While I like the notifications on the phone, some I just don't need on the watch.

That's a function of the OS...not the Fenix 5. Go into your notifications section for your apps and make the adjustments there. The watch essentially reports what your smartphone reports.

0 OPaynton over 7 years ago

That's a function of the OS...not the Fenix 5. Go into your notifications section for your apps and make the adjustments there. The watch essentially reports what your smartphone reports.

That is not strictly true.
For a while now, I have had a problem of 'selective' notifications. Annoyingly, text messages were not being displayed on the 5X (despite being displayed on the phone), and most others (but not all) came through just fine. Recently, text messages reappeared, but some other apps are not being displayed. This is despite notification settings on the phone being the same for all.

Often, notifications stop altogether. Sometimes rebooting the phone solves this, but at other time it does not.

All in all, this means that notifications onto the 5X are not stable enough to be depended on, which is a big shame - what is the point of even wearing the watch outside of activities now??

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

That's a function of the OS...not the Fenix 5. Go into your notifications section for your apps and make the adjustments there. The watch essentially reports what your smartphone reports.

I didn't intend to bash the watch. Just mentioned, as opposed to the OP, I get every notification plus those that while I'd like on the phone... I don't on the watch. Knowing next to nothing about programming apps or watches... just thought it'd nice if there was something on GC that would allow a setting to filter specific apps.