To turn off text message notifications on Apple Watch, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch > Notifications > Messages, tap Custom, and choose Notifications Off. The same steps work for Calendar, YouTube or any other app. On the watch itself, you can also swipe left on a notification and tap the More button to mute or turn off that app.
This guide covers turning off notifications per app, muting from the watch, hiding notification details, silencing everything for a while, and clearing what’s already there. The steps follow Apple’s notification settings guide and related Apple Watch User Guide pages. Options can vary by app and watchOS version. Wrist taps during navigation are a separate setting, covered in how to turn off Maps turn alerts on Apple Watch.
In this article:
- Turn off notifications for an app
- Mute or turn off an app from the watch
- Hide notification details
- Silence all notifications for a while
- Clear notifications and the red dot
- Frequently asked questions
How to Turn Off Notifications for an App on Apple Watch
- Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch, then Notifications.
- Tap the app, such as Messages, Calendar or YouTube.
- Tap Custom.
- Choose Notifications Off. Or pick Send to Notification Center to keep them without a sound or alert on the watch.
Result: That app stops sending notifications to your watch. Apple says your watch mirrors your iPhone’s notification settings by default, and choosing Custom lets the watch behave differently. Mirrored settings don’t apply to an Apple Watch you manage for a family member.
On the same screen you can set Notification grouping to Off, Automatically or By App. Some apps also let you pick specific types of notifications. For example, Apple says Calendar can notify you only for certain calendars, and Mail lets you choose which accounts send notifications. To adjust when event reminders are sent in the first place, see how to change default alert times in the iPhone Calendar.
How to Mute or Turn Off an App From the Watch
- When a notification arrives, swipe left on it.
- Tap the More button (three dots).
- Choose an option.
Apple lists these options, though not every app shows all of them:
- Mute 1 hour or Mute for Today: notifications go straight to Notification Center without a sound or alert. To undo it, swipe left on a notification, tap More, and tap Unmute.
- Add to Summary: future notifications from the app go to the Notification Summary on your iPhone.
- Turn off Time Sensitive: stops the app from breaking through a Focus with time-sensitive alerts.
- Turn off: the app sends no notifications.
Result: The change applies right from your wrist. To turn an app back on, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch > Notifications, tap the app, and choose Allow Notifications.
How to Hide Notification Details
- Open Settings on your Apple Watch and tap Notifications.
- Turn on Tap to Show Full Notification.
Result: When you raise your wrist, you see only a short summary, like who a message is from, until you tap it. On the same screen, Apple also lists Show Summary When Locked and Show Notifications on Wrist Down. By default, notifications don’t appear when your wrist is down.
How to Silence All Notifications for a While
If you want a break from every alert, Apple offers several modes in Control Center. Press the side button to open it, then tap one of these:
- Silent Mode: mutes sounds, but you still feel haptic taps. Apple notes alarms and timers still sound while the watch is charging.
- Theater Mode: keeps the screen dark when you raise your wrist and turns on Silent Mode.
- Do Not Disturb or a Focus: stops sound and haptic notifications. Tap On, or pick an end point such as On for 1 hour.
Result: Alerts stay quiet until you turn the mode off or the end point you chose arrives.
How to Clear Notifications and the Red Dot
Apple says a red dot at the top of the watch face means you have unread notifications. To clear them:
- From the watch face, swipe down to open Notification Center. On other screens, touch and hold the top of the screen, then swipe down.
- Scroll to the top and tap Clear All. To clear just one, swipe it left and tap the Delete button.
Result: Notification Center is empty and the red dot goes away. To hide the red dot entirely, go to Settings > Notifications on the watch and turn off Notifications Indicator. For what the other status icons mean, see what the water drop and other Apple Watch icons mean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I still get notifications on my iPhone?
These steps only change the watch. To turn off an app’s notifications on your iPhone too, change them in the iPhone Settings app.
Can I turn off notifications for just one Messages conversation?
These settings work per app. To quiet notifications from everything for a while, use Do Not Disturb or a Focus instead. For ring reminders and coaching alerts, see how to turn off Activity notifications on Apple Watch.
Why can’t I open Notification Center?
Apple says you can’t open it from the Home Screen. Press the Digital Crown to go to the watch face or open an app first.
Related Guides
- How to make Apple Watch vibrations stronger
- How to turn off Siri on Apple Watch
- What the water drop and other Apple Watch icons mean
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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