How to customize notification settings on Apple Watch Series 10

Summary

Use Apple Watch Series 10 to reduce iPhone distractions.
Customize app notifications in settings for more focus.
Manage notifications for third-party apps easily.

I’ve been using the Apple Watch Series 10 for the past few weeks and have loved the substantial upgrade from my old Series 4. It’s been helping me during my day-to-day life, my fitness routines, and during work hours. One of the most important functions the Apple Watch Series 10 serves is keeping me focused on work by only notifying me of need-to-know information.

Using the Apple Watch Series 10 as my notification machine reduces distractions when looking at my iPhone. Throughout my work day, I can check my phone for an email notification and, despite my best efforts, I end up doomscrolling Twitter for 20 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10 lets me curate which notifications are prioritized, keeping me off of my phone while still being aware of messages and emails that are coming through. It’s incredibly simple to use your iPhone and watchOS 11 to tailor which notifications appear on your Apple Watch Series 10.

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How to tailor which notifications show on Apple Watch Series 10

Staying focused and not distracted is easy using the Apple Watch’s settings

Out of the box, the Apple Watch Series 10 mirrors every notification setting you have set up on your iPhone. If you want to be more pragmatic about which ones come through, you can customize how some apps display notifications on your smartwatch. By doing so, you can remain a bit more focused on work or a project you may have throughout the day.

To customize your app notifications for Apple Watch Series 10:

Navigate to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Select My Watch and then Notifications.
Tap the app (ie: Messages, Podcasts, Phone, etc).
Select Custom and then choose an option.

Your changes have been saved

Apple Watch Series 10

The Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest Apple Watch yet. It also features the company’s largest smartwatch screen to date, allowing the device to display more text and a bigger keyboard for typing. Battery life still comes in at the 18-hour mark, though the device can charge faster than its predecessors.

Brand: Apple
Heart Rate Monitor: Electrical heart sensor
Color Screen: Always‑On Retina LTPO3 display Wide‑angle OLED
Notification Support: Yes
Battery Life: 18 hours normal use, up to 36 in low power mode
Operating System: WatchOS 11
Customizable Strap: Yes
Colors: Jet black, rose gold, silver, slate, gold, natural
CPU: S10 SiP with 64‑bit dual core processor
Price: 399
Weight: 1.4-1.05oz (41.7-30g) depending on material and size
Audio: Speaker with media playback
Workout detection: Yes
Fast charging: Up to 80% in 30 minutes

Using this method, you can customize how notifications from Apple’s first-party app selection appear on the Apple Watch Series 10. For instance, you can disable sounds and haptics when notifications appear on your wearable. Additionally, you can choose to Send to Notification Center so they appear directly without the Apple Watch Series 10 making noise or displaying the notification.

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How to disable app notifications for Apple Watch Series 10

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Apple Watch Series 10 notifications screenshot

If you aim to dial down some of the notifications from third-party apps, you can do that from your iPhone. Unfortunately, you don’t have access to as many customization tools as you do with Apple’s own apps. However, you can stop app notifications from being mirrored to your Apple Watch Series 10. To do this, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Select My Watch and then Notifications.
Scroll down to the Mirror iPhone Alerts From section.
Toggle off any apps you no longer wish to see alerts from.

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How to show notifications on the Apple Watch Series 10 Lock Screen

Customize how notifications appear on your Apple Watch in a few easy steps

Now that you’ve tailored which apps you’d like to see notifications from, it’s time to customize how they appear. On the Apple Watch Series 10, you can select up to three options available on the watch itself.

These options effectively allow users to tailor how notifications appear (or don’t appear) on the watch. Options include showing a summary when the Apple Watch Series 10 is locked, a tap-to-show notification function, and options for a notification indicator.

To change notification appearances on Apple Watch Series 10, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
Select Notifications.
Choose from the Notification Indicator, Show Summary When Locked, and Tap to Show Full Notification.