Hi, I noticed notifications aren't being spoken. I went into verbosity and set them to speak. This happens when the phone is locked. Any help is appreciated.
Yes, in previous versions of iOS I could choose to have notifications spoken or not as they come to the locked screen on the phone. I haven't found a way of getting these notifications to speak either.
I thought this was because I got an Apple Watch when iOS 17 was released and thought that the watch was somehow interfering with the spoken notifications. But I can't get notifications to speak on the watch either.
I would like to have control over notifications that are spoken or not on the watch and phone but haven't been able to figure out how that is done if it is possible at all. I miss many notifications (like the "time to stand" notification) on the watch because it will vibrate but not catch my attention to go and open it up in order to figure out what the notification is.
Perhaps people who have had both watches and phones for a long time have worked out something. If so, it would be good to know.
1 under verbosity and voiceover set notifications to speak. 2 under settings and notifications set preview to always. I'll continue to test and see if this works in all cases.
I had both of those settings the way you described.
However, in the Verbosity / Voiceover Notifications, I had "Banners" set to "do nothing". This way when I was reading in an app and a text message came through it didn't interrupt speech.
I now turned the banner settings to "speak" and we'll see what happens. I'll write back with my obsewrvations.
Note: If I quickly want to turn off this speaking, it seems like I can simply toggle the "mute" button on the phone so that, when desired, I don't have to annoy other people in a group.
Okay, as I indidcated earlier, I made the modifications suggested earlier.
Since then I've received a number of text and other notifications (like Weather Gods). My watch vibrates but neither the watch nor the phone speaks anything.
I was beginning to suspect that notifications not being spoken had something to do with having the Apple Watch. I have been noticing that, when the watch and phone are charging (i.e., not wearing the watch) then notifications DO speak on the phone. But when wearing the watch, no notifications are spoken no matter what I do.
The problem with not mirroring apps on the watch is then, presumably, I won't be able to access any of those apps from the watch. For example, if I don't mirror mesages on the watch, I wouldn't be able to read any mesages from the watch.
Ideally what I would like is to have notifications spoken on the watch while wearing it (or at least having the option to make notifications be spoken on the watch or not). Seems like a reasonable function but apparently it is impossible.
Anyway, thanks for all of the feedback. I'll play around with this and see what options work best for me.
I don't think there is a way to have notifications automatically spoken when they pop up on the watch.
The only setting I saw that was relevant in the Watch app or on the Watch was to have notifications automatically spoken through headphones if one was wearing headphones. I didn't see any option for otherwise speaking notifications if one wasn't wearing headphones or Airpods.
Do get them as selected on my WG notification so is possible. I have set WG to tell me sunset, sunrise, and so on. VO reads my messages if I get one. For the watch, is not consistent.
Are you talking about the watch or phone? As I said, I think the phone will speak notifications if not wearing the watch, but the watch never seems to speak any notifications for me no matter what settings I choose. Of course I can wake up the watch to read notifications using Voiceover, but it would be nice if I could get the watch to automatically speak such notifications when they come in.
Comments
Re: Notifications not being spoken
Yes, in previous versions of iOS I could choose to have notifications spoken or not as they come to the locked screen on the phone. I haven't found a way of getting these notifications to speak either.
I thought this was because I got an Apple Watch when iOS 17 was released and thought that the watch was somehow interfering with the spoken notifications. But I can't get notifications to speak on the watch either.
I would like to have control over notifications that are spoken or not on the watch and phone but haven't been able to figure out how that is done if it is possible at all. I miss many notifications (like the "time to stand" notification) on the watch because it will vibrate but not catch my attention to go and open it up in order to figure out what the notification is.
Perhaps people who have had both watches and phones for a long time have worked out something. If so, it would be good to know.
Thanks.
--Pete
solution for the issue
1 under verbosity and voiceover set notifications to speak. 2 under settings and notifications set preview to always. I'll continue to test and see if this works in all cases.
Re: Solution
I had both of those settings the way you described.
However, in the Verbosity / Voiceover Notifications, I had "Banners" set to "do nothing". This way when I was reading in an app and a text message came through it didn't interrupt speech.
I now turned the banner settings to "speak" and we'll see what happens. I'll write back with my obsewrvations.
Note: If I quickly want to turn off this speaking, it seems like I can simply toggle the "mute" button on the phone so that, when desired, I don't have to annoy other people in a group.
thanks.
--Pete
No issues
Get the notification with iOS 17.2 RC but whenever I get them, VO reads the time. Bug. Nuts.
re: Results with Proposed solution
Okay, as I indidcated earlier, I made the modifications suggested earlier.
Since then I've received a number of text and other notifications (like Weather Gods). My watch vibrates but neither the watch nor the phone speaks anything.
Any other ideas?
--Pete
peter
Do not mirror those apps that you want VO to read on your phone.
Re: Peter
I was beginning to suspect that notifications not being spoken had something to do with having the Apple Watch. I have been noticing that, when the watch and phone are charging (i.e., not wearing the watch) then notifications DO speak on the phone. But when wearing the watch, no notifications are spoken no matter what I do.
The problem with not mirroring apps on the watch is then, presumably, I won't be able to access any of those apps from the watch. For example, if I don't mirror mesages on the watch, I wouldn't be able to read any mesages from the watch.
Ideally what I would like is to have notifications spoken on the watch while wearing it (or at least having the option to make notifications be spoken on the watch or not). Seems like a reasonable function but apparently it is impossible.
Anyway, thanks for all of the feedback. I'll play around with this and see what options work best for me.
--Pete
peter
Have no issues checking messages.
Re: Speaking Messages
I don't think there is a way to have notifications automatically spoken when they pop up on the watch.
The only setting I saw that was relevant in the Watch app or on the Watch was to have notifications automatically spoken through headphones if one was wearing headphones. I didn't see any option for otherwise speaking notifications if one wasn't wearing headphones or Airpods.
Would love to know differently.
--Pete
peter
Do get them as selected on my WG notification so is possible. I have set WG to tell me sunset, sunrise, and so on. VO reads my messages if I get one. For the watch, is not consistent.
Re: Peter
Interesting that you will sometimes hear Weather Gods notifications on your watch. I only hear them on the phone when not wearing the watch.
Do you ever get text notifications spoken automatically on the watch when they come in? I only get a sound or vibration.
--Pete
my fix doesn't always work
I noticed especially when I'm on a phone call it won't speak. Also sometimes when it is locked it won't speak.
Re: I noticed that sometimes my fix doesn't work
Are you talking about the watch or phone? As I said, I think the phone will speak notifications if not wearing the watch, but the watch never seems to speak any notifications for me no matter what settings I choose. Of course I can wake up the watch to read notifications using Voiceover, but it would be nice if I could get the watch to automatically speak such notifications when they come in.
Maybe it is time for a note to Apple support.
--Pete
peter
When is open it happen. I think is do to enable auto speak. It happen in a blue moon.