Notify When Left Behind Not Supported For Apple Watch 6
Last updated on November 11th, 2021 at 10:34 am
Posted in TILs by Vlad on September 28, 2021
Notify when left behind not supported for Apple Watch
You’ve updated all your devices to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 but the Notify When Left Behind feature is labeled as Not Supported for Apple Watch, iPhone or iPad? The setting is greyed out in the Find My app and stuck in the Off position? Thankfully, there are a few ways to make it work!
How To Fix Notify When Left Behind Not Supported
If this new iOS 15 feature isn’t showing up or is labeled as not available for your iPhone or Apple Watch, perform the following troubleshooting steps:
1. Use The Same Apple ID
First of all make sure that you’re signed in with the same Apple ID for all devices that you want to track with the help of the Find My app!
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How to:
- Open Settings and tap on your Apple ID available at the top of the screen.
- Scroll all the way down and make sure that all your devices are listed.
- Tap on each of them and make sure that: Find My iPhone, Find My iPad, Find My Watch and Find My Mac are enabled!
2. Enable Location Services
Make sure that the GPS antennae is enabled on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch!
– For iPhone & iPad: Browse for Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services
– For Apple Watch: The settings are mirrored from the paired iPhone. However, you can double check by accessing Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services from your wrist!
3. Turn On Find My Watch, iPad & iPhone
For iPhone & iPad this setting is configured as follows:
- Open Settings and tap on your Apple ID, available at the top of the screen.
- Tap on Find My -> Find My iPhone.
- Enable Find My iPhone and make sure that Find My network option is also turned on, as well as the Send Last Location feature.
On Apple Watch:
Click the Digital Crown and go for Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services. Enable this option as well as the Find My network option!
4. Restart Devices
If you reached this step and get the Notify When Left Behind Not Supported status in Find My -> Devices -> Apple Watch (iPhone or iPad) you should reboot your devices.
A fresh start could flush minor glitches that might prevent this new watchOS 8 and iOS 15 feature from working. Simply turn your devices Off and back On or use the force restart trick!
5. Update Software
Notify When Left behind should work now for iPhone and iPad. However, if you’re still getting Not Supported for Apple Watch you’re not the only one! I’m facing the same issue as well as other users that have reported the same issue on Reddit.
Apparently, a watchOS 8 bug is keeping Notify When Left Behind greyed out without any obvious reasons. Apple should fix this in an upcoming software update!
Have you managed to turn On Notify when left behind for Apple Watch? Did any of the above tips help out? Do you have a better solution? Use the comments section and share your feedback.
Related: Other watchOS 8 issues that you should be aware of are:
– Apple Watch time not updating in Always-On for some watch faces!
Not working. Still saying the Apple Watch is unsupported under Notify When Lett Behind. It shows as a Find My location but won’t enable Notify.
Thanks for reporting. iOS 15.0.1 has been released. Does it change anything?
no we have to wait for apple watch to receive a new os
Yes, apparently we need watchOS 8.1, not just a bug fixing minor update.
still facing the same issue for my apple watch
no one is a capable to do it yet
maybe we have to wait till they release the new apple watch s7 so the push the new WOs 8.1
Thanks for reporting Tomy. Yes, watchOS 8.1 is the next milestone for this feature.
I have the same issue with my AirPods Pro. The “Notify when left behind” is greyed out. I hope Apple will release a fix soon.
Thanks for reporting Stefan. ‘Notify when left behind’ kinda works at my end. Although the option is greyed out. It’s in On position. The status swings from ‘Not Available’ to ‘Temporary Unavailable. I am also able to trigger Notify When Found too. Anyway, as soon as I trigger it the options greys out too. Added some screenshots:
All my settings were correct. It doesn’t work on my Apple Watch 6 with latest OS and new iPhone 13 Pro Max with iOS 15.0.2.
Yes, apparently this feature isn’t available yet for the Apple Watch. It should work for AirPods Pro though.
I updated my watch and phone today, unfortunately it’s still greyed out and showing not supported.
Yes, that’s true Notify When Left behind still not supported for Apple Watch in watchOS 8.0.1.
…how do you expect to be supported? With magic? The Apple Watch is the device that makes possible to know if you left something behind in the first place, because is always at your wrist. Other devices notifications are based on it. It is not a bug. If you leave it behind how should it know?
By acting like an AirTag and pinging and getting pinged by other devices that are nearby from and outside of the Find My network.
That is impossible. A trusted location is needed to know if the items are with you.
This is the hierarchy: iPads and Airpods are trusting the iPhone location, if far from the iPhone, they will notify you. If you have a watch and ONLY if you have a watch, you can be alerted on the iPhone too, because it relies upon the Watch location, which should be the closest to you.
If you does not have a watch, you cannot enable left behind on the phone, because it has no trusted location to know if it is far or near you.
As you can see the option for the watch was totally removed in iOS 15.1.
Thanks for the followup. Yes, ‘Notify when left behind’ has been removed. However, I still see ‘Notify When Found’ and can also toggle it ON.
Notify when found is related to lost mode, it should not be togglable without lost mode on, mine is greyed out.
Notify When Left Behind still grey and inaccessible on Apple Watch. Hope update to enable this comes soon. I often forget my watch on the charger before I head out to work.
Yes, this would be useful for many indeed. Let’s wait and see what watchOS 8.1 will bring.
I’m having exactly the same issues with my Apple Watch Series 6 on WatchOS 8.0.1 it’s saying notify when left behind not supported and is greyed out so you are unable to turn it on but when I’m in the find my device app I’ve got my Apple Watch S6 and iPhone 12 Pro Max when I click on my phone it’s saying notify when left behind that’s turned on but when I click on my watch icon in the find my devices app it’s greyed out for some reason I’ve tried turning both devices off and back on again still hasn’t resolved the issue I’ve checked to see if all the settings are on which they are I’ve even unpaired my Apple Watch from my iPhone and paired it up again to see if that helped and nothing still saying NOT SUPPORTED!!!!! It’s so frustrating grrrrrrrrr 😖😖😖😖
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, it’s ‘not supported’ for everyone. Hopefully, this will change in watchOS 8.1 which should be released this month.
I have ios15.1 and watchOS 8.1 now the option has been completely removed.
Yes, not here anymore either. Only, Notify When Found option is available. Apparently, we will have to wait it out.