Having trouble feeling alerts on the Apple Watch? Check this setting
For some, the taps on your wrist for each new alert just isn't strong enough.
One of the primary functions of the Apple Watch is to replace your iPhone's notification chimes with a gentle tap on your wrist and an audible notification.
The combination of the two are often more than enough to get my attention, but I've had a few friends and readers contact me asking if there was a way to increase the intensity of the alert.
Their main complaint was that alerts were being missed, even after having adjusted the Haptic Strength in the watch's settings. But just under that same Haptic Strength setting, there's another option for those having a hard time feeling notifications.
That setting is called Prominent Haptic. When enabled, the watch will vibrate just before an alert. There are two different methods for enabling the feature, both with the same outcome.
On the iPhone
- Launch the Apple Watch app.
- Tap on Sounds & Haptics.
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen and move the Prominent Haptic switch to the on position. A few seconds later the setting will sync to your watch, causing it to scream for your attention with each alert.
On the Apple Watch
- Launch the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select Sounds & Haptics.
- At the bottom of the screen you'll find a switch for Prominent Haptic. Move it to the on position, then press the Digital Crown to go back to the home screen.
In experimenting with this feature, I found it to be overkill but if you're someone who has a hard time feeling alerts on your Apple Watch, it's worth a shot.