Apple and Microsoft occasionally don’t play well together, and today’s topic is a prime example of this. If you’re wondering how to get your PC (Windows or Mac) to display notifications on your Apple Watch, we’ve got the answers. The solutions might not be the smoothest, but they should allow for some functionality between your two devices.
There are a few ways to get push notifications on your Apple Watch, either from your PC or the Microsoft apps installed on it. Let’s get started:
Microsoft Apps
Certain Microsoft apps, like Outlook and To Do, are supported by both Windows and iOS. This allows for notifications to be sent to your Apple Watch without too much difficulty. For this to work, however, you’ll also need to have the Microsoft app installed on your iPhone and be signed in to your Microsoft account. Here’s what to do:
Step 1. Open up Settings on your iPhone and scroll down to “Notifications.”
Step 2. Scroll down to your Microsoft app and tap it.
Step 3. Under the “Alerts” subsection, ensure that “Banners” is enabled at least.
Step 4. Drag the “Sounds” slider to “On.”
Next, go to the Watch app and do the following:
Step 1. Navigate to “Notifications.”
Step 2. Ensure your app is set to send notifications by dragging its slider to “On.”
Your Apple Watch should now receive any notifications from the app.
Bypass the iPhone (Mac)
If you have an Mac and are looking to receive notifications from your PC, but not necessarily your iPhone, then you can disable mirroring and receive notifications from your PC directly instead. Here’s how:
Step 1. Open up the Watch app on your iPhone and navigate to “Notifications.”
Step 2. Find the app you’d like to de-link and tap it.
Step 3. Tap the “Custom” option instead of the “Mirror my iPhone.”
Step 4. Select “Allow Notifications” below this.
To disable app notifications on your iPhone:
Step 1. Open Settings and navigate to “Notifications.”
Step 2. Tap the app in question and drag the “Allow Notifications” slider to “Off.”
From here on, you’ll only receive the app’s messages on your Apple Watch and not your iPhone.
Phone Link (Windows)
The Phone Link app allows for the limited sharing of calls and messages between your iPhone and your Windows PC. iMessage can be used to sync messages from your PC to your watch. Here’s what to do:
Step 1. Open Phone Link via the search bar.
Step 2. Choose the “iPhone” option on the welcome screen.
Step 3. Ensure your PC Bluetooth is enabled.
Step 4. Scan the QR code that pops up with your iPhone.
Step 5. Press “Open” to begin the pairing process.
Step 6. Enable Bluetooth and accept the privacy statement on your iPhone.
Step 7. On the PC, you’ll see a verification code appear. Input this into your iPhone, click “Pair,” and the devices will start syncing.
Phone Link will now run with your iPhone and be accessible via your system tray. Your iMessage will be paired too, and new messages will be shown on your PC. iMessage push notifications should also be received on your Apple Watch. If necessary, check the Notification settings of the app in your iPhone’s settings.
As an avid gamer, I’ve run into my fair share of error codes and weird faults that have forced me to find fixes to problems I never anticipated. That gave me a passion for sharing those fixes with others so we can all game without feeling like our hardware is rebelling against us.
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