To turn off email previews on an Apple Watch, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Mail, then tap Message Preview and choose None. To keep email text off the screen when a new message arrives, also turn on Tap to Show Full Notification in the watch’s Notifications settings.
These steps follow Apple’s Manage mail on Apple Watch and Change notification settings on Apple Watch guides.
In this article:
- Turn off Mail previews
- Hide email text in notifications
- Choose which accounts can alert you
- Turn off Mail notifications
- Where your notifications show up
- FAQs
How to Turn Off Mail Previews on Apple Watch
Apple describes Message Preview as a way to make your mail list more compact by reducing the lines of preview text shown for each email. Setting it to None also keeps the body of your emails off your wrist while you scroll the list.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch.
- Scroll down and tap Mail.
- Tap Message Preview.
- Choose None. You can also pick 1 line or 2 lines.
Result: The Mail list on your watch shows the sender and subject without any lines of message text.
How to Hide Email Text in Apple Watch Notifications
Message Preview only changes the list inside the Mail app. When a new email arrives, the notification can still show the message after a few seconds. Apple explains that when you raise your wrist, you see a quick summary first and then the full details. Turning on the option below stops the full notification from appearing unless you tap it.
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Notifications.
- Turn on Tap to Show Full Notification.
In the same menu, Show Summary When Locked controls what appears while the watch is locked. With it on, Apple says the watch shows a short look that includes the app’s name and icon along with a brief headline.
Result: New emails show only a short summary until you tap the notification.
How to Choose Which Mail Accounts Can Alert You
If you only want to hide previews from one account, such as a work inbox, you can limit alerts by account instead of changing everything.
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch, tap Mail, then tap Custom.
- Tap an account, then turn Show Alerts from [account name] on or off.
- Turn Sound and Haptic on or off for that account.
Apple also lists an Email Notifications switch under When Not Connected to iPhone on the Mail screen. It alerts you about important messages when you are wearing your watch but away from your iPhone.
While you are in the Custom menu, you can also change the text added to messages you send. See how to remove or change the Apple Watch email signature.
How to Turn Off Mail Notifications on Apple Watch
If you would rather not see email alerts on your wrist at all, change the Mail notification setting:
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch, then tap Notifications.
- Tap Mail, tap Custom, then choose an option.
- Allow Notifications: Mail displays notifications in Notification Center.
- Send to Notification Center: alerts go straight to Notification Center without a sound or a pop-up.
- Notifications Off: Mail sends no notifications to the watch.
You can also swipe left on a Mail notification on the watch and tap the options button to mute it for an hour or for the rest of the day. For other alert sounds, see how to turn off the sound on Apple Watch.
Result: Mail stops sending alerts to your watch, or sends them quietly to Notification Center.
Where Your Email Notifications Show Up
According to Apple’s Notifications on your Apple Watch article, notifications appear on your watch or your iPhone, but not both. If your iPhone is unlocked, you get them on the iPhone. If your iPhone is locked or asleep, they go to your Apple Watch, unless the watch is locked. When you read or dismiss a notification on the watch, it is also dismissed on your iPhone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Message Preview change my iPhone’s Mail app?
No. This setting is in the Apple Watch app and changes only the list on your watch.
Will turning on Tap to Show Full Notification affect other apps?
Yes. It is a watch-wide notification setting, so messages and alerts from other apps also wait for a tap before showing full details.
Can I turn off text message notifications the same way?
Yes. See how to turn off text message notifications on Apple Watch.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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