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Galaxy Watch 8 Not Showing WhatsApp Notifications

WhatsApp notifications not appearing on your Galaxy Watch 8 usually stem from permission issues, Bluetooth connectivity problems, or Samsung Secure Folder conflicts. This guide covers the most common fixes.


Quick Checks

Before diving into troubleshooting, verify these basics:

  • Bluetooth Connected: Watch shows connected status to your phone
  • Other Notifications Work: Test if other app notifications appear on watch
  • WhatsApp Not in Secure Folder: Apps in Samsung Secure Folder cannot sync to the watch

Enable Notification Permissions

Notifications require proper permissions on both your phone and in the Galaxy Wearable app.

On Your Phone:

  1. Open Settings Apps WhatsApp
  2. Tap Notifications and enable all notification types
  3. Enable Show on lock screen
  4. Enable Pop on screen

In Galaxy Wearable App:

  1. Open Galaxy Wearable on your phone
  2. Go to Watch settings Notifications
  3. Tap App notifications and find WhatsApp
  4. Enable all WhatsApp notification categories
  5. Set priority to High for immediate delivery

Grant Notification Access:

  1. Open phone Settings Apps Galaxy Wearable
  2. Tap Special access Notification access
  3. Ensure Galaxy Wearable is enabled

Check Secure Folder

If WhatsApp is installed in Samsung Secure Folder, notifications cannot sync to your watch.

  • Open your app drawer and verify WhatsApp is in your main apps, not Secure Folder
  • If WhatsApp is in Secure Folder, move it to main phone storage
  • Dual Messenger instances may also cause conflicts

Check Do Not Disturb Settings

DND modes may be blocking notifications.

On Your Phone:

  1. Open Settings Modes and Routines (or Do Not Disturb)
  2. If DND is active, add WhatsApp to the exceptions list

On Your Watch:

  1. Swipe down from the watch face
  2. Check if the moon icon (DND) is active
  3. Disable DND or add WhatsApp to exceptions

Reset Bluetooth Connection

If permissions are correct but notifications still don't appear, reset the connection.

  1. On your phone, go to Settings Apps Bluetooth
  2. Tap Storage Clear Cache
  3. Disable Bluetooth on both devices
  4. Restart both phone and watch
  5. Enable Bluetooth and let them reconnect
  6. Re-verify WhatsApp notification settings in Galaxy Wearable

Disable Battery Optimization

Battery optimization may delay or block notifications.

  1. Open phone Settings Apps WhatsApp
  2. Tap Battery and select Unrestricted or Don't optimize
  3. Do the same for Galaxy Wearable app

When to Contact Support

Contact Samsung Support if:

  • All permissions are correctly configured
  • Other app notifications work but WhatsApp doesn't
  • Multiple troubleshooting attempts have failed

See Also: Galaxy Watch 8 Notification Issues|Galaxy Watch 8 Not Pairing|Galaxy Watch 8 Troubleshooting