There are a few potential reasons why your Apple Watch may not be vibrating for WhatsApp notifications. The most common causes include having Do Not Disturb enabled, notifications turned off for WhatsApp, an issue with WhatsApp settings, low battery, or a hardware issue with the watch. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve the missing vibrations.
Check Do Not Disturb Settings
The first thing to check is whether Do Not Disturb is enabled on your Apple Watch. When Do Not Disturb is turned on, your watch will not vibrate for any notifications until you disable the setting.
To check your Do Not Disturb settings:
- On your Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the Control Center.
- Look for the crescent moon icon. If it’s highlighted in orange, Do Not Disturb is enabled.
- To disable, tap the icon so it’s no longer highlighted.
This will turn off Do Not Disturb and allow notifications to vibrate your watch again. Keep in mind Do Not Disturb may be scheduled to automatically turn on during certain hours, so you may need to check your schedule settings as well.
Verify Notifications Enabled for WhatsApp
If Do Not Disturb is not enabled, the next thing to check is whether notifications are enabled for the WhatsApp app.
To verify notification settings:
- Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
- Go to the My Watch tab.
- Tap Notifications.
- Find WhatsApp in the list of apps and make sure the toggle is switched on.
If WhatsApp notifications were disabled, turning this back on should allow the app to vibrate your watch when new messages arrive. You can also customize the notification settings further by tapping the WhatsApp name to select specific alert options.
Check WhatsApp Notification Settings
The WhatsApp notification settings on your iPhone can also affect whether alerts come through properly on your Apple Watch.
To verify they are enabled:
- Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.
- Go to Settings > Notifications.
- Confirm “Notifications” are enabled.
- Under Notification Tone, select a tone other than “None.”
If notifications were previously disabled here, this should now allow them to resume vibrating your watch.
Update to Latest WhatsApp Version
An outdated version of WhatsApp can also prevent notifications from working properly. Make sure both the iPhone and Apple Watch apps are up to date:
- On your iPhone, open the App Store and go to Updates to see if WhatsApp needs upgrading.
- On your Apple Watch, open the App Store directly on the watch to check for a WhatsApp update there.
Installing the latest WhatsApp updates can resolve bugs and issues that may be preventing the notifications from coming through.
Force Close and Reopen WhatsApp
If WhatsApp was recently closed out improperly on your iPhone, it could cause issues syncing with the Apple Watch app. Try force closing WhatsApp and reopening to refresh the connection.
To do this:
- Double tap the Home button on your iPhone to bring up the multitasking view.
- Locate WhatsApp in the list of recently used apps and swipe up to close it.
- Reopen WhatsApp from the home screen icon to restart the app.
Rebooting WhatsApp like this may get notifications working properly again between your devices.
Restart Your iPhone and Apple Watch
If you’re still not getting WhatsApp vibrations on your Apple Watch, try restarting both devices. Restarting will clear any temporary glitches that could be preventing notifications from coming through.
To restart:
- On your iPhone, hold down the Side button and either Volume button until the power off slider appears. Drag it to turn off your phone.
- To restart your Apple Watch, press and hold the Side button until the power off slider appears. Drag it to turn off your watch.
- Wait 30 seconds, then power both devices back on.
Once restarted, check again to see if WhatsApp notifications now vibrate your Apple Watch correctly.
Unpair and Re-pair Your Apple Watch
If your watch is still not vibrating for WhatsApp after restarting, you may need to unpair and re-pair the watch with your iPhone. Unpairing will reset the connection which can resolve notification issues.
To unpair Apple Watch:
- Open the Watch app on iPhone and go to My Watch > All Watches.
- Tap the Info button next to your watch.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch at the bottom.
- Confirm unpairing on your Apple Watch when prompted.
Once unpaired, set up your Apple Watch again:
- On your iPhone, open the Watch app and tap Start Pairing.
- Follow the onscreen setup prompts to pair again.
- Sign into WhatsApp when prompted on Apple Watch to sync settings.
Re-pairing establishes a fresh connection which should get WhatsApp notifications and vibrations functioning normally again.
Check Apple Watch Battery Level
If your Apple Watch battery is low, this can sometimes prevent notifications and vibrations from working properly. Check that your watch is charged to at least 20%.
To see the battery level:
- Swipe up from bottom of your Apple Watch face.
- Battery percentage will be shown at the top of the screen.
Charge your watch for at least 30 minutes if the battery is under 20%. Then test WhatsApp notifications again.
Contact WhatsApp Support
If you still don’t get WhatsApp vibrations after trying all troubleshooting steps, you may need to contact WhatsApp directly for support. Reach out to WhatsApp via:
- WhatsApp FAQ page: http://www.whatsapp.com/faq
- Twitter support: @WhatsApp
- Facebook support: @WhatsApp
Explain the issue with your Apple Watch and notifications. Provide details on the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken. WhatsApp support can provide customized troubleshooting tips or determine if it’s an ongoing issue on their end.
Factory Reset Apple Watch
If nothing else resolves your missing vibrations for WhatsApp, a factory reset of your Apple Watch may be necessary. This will erase the watch and revert it to factory settings.
**Important: Back up your Apple Watch before resetting. You’ll lose all settings and data otherwise.**
To reset Apple Watch:
- Open the Watch app on iPhone > My Watch > All Watches.
- Tap the Info button next to your watch.
- Tap Unpair Apple Watch to unpair it first.
- Tap Erase Apple Watch Content and Settings.
- Follow setup process again until WhatsApp installed.
Resetting your watch should eliminate any corrupted settings or data causing issues with WhatsApp notifications.
Contact Apple Support
If a factory reset did not restore WhatsApp vibrations, then the issue may be due to a hardware problem with the Apple Watch itself. Contact Apple Support for further troubleshooting:
- Apple Support app on your iPhone
- Apple Support online at https://support.apple.com
- Apple Store Genius Bar appointment
- Call 1-800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273)
Apple Support can run diagnostic tests, check for hardware issues, and potentially set up a repair or replacement if needed. Provide details on the missing WhatsApp vibrations and troubleshooting done so far when contacting them.
Conclusion
Having your Apple Watch not vibrate for WhatsApp messages can be annoying, but the issue can typically be resolved with thorough troubleshooting. Start by checking Do Not Disturb settings, WhatsApp notifications, app updates, restarting your devices, and re-pairing your watch. For ongoing issues, contact WhatsApp or Apple Support for help getting WhatsApp notifications and vibrations functioning properly again on your Apple Watch. Consistently follow the troubleshooting steps outlined above to zero in on the specific cause.