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Onimusha370

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 25, 2010
908
1,243
Hey everyone,
When I get an iMessage, the Taptic feedback is very much like a tap on the wrist, and is virtually silent. However, when I recieve notifications from third party apps, the feedback feels like I have an iPhone vibrating on my wrist... It's noisy, and it feels as if something is 'loose' in the watch, the best way to describe it is that it's very similar to the buzz your iPhone makes when you get a notification.
Anyone else experiencing this? Not sure if the feedback is meant to be different or if I have a problem.

Thanks
 

roddenshaw

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2006
272
17
I don't think this is unusual, it's just a different vibration pattern so that you can differentiate between notification types. I'm quite disappointed by how noisy the taptic engine can be; I turned off vibrate on my iPhone since the watch is so much more discreet, but it would be much better if it was practically silent. I'm hoping that later built models will improve on this.
 

Onimusha370

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 25, 2010
908
1,243
I don't think this is unusual, it's just a different vibration pattern so that you can differentiate between notification types. I'm quite disappointed by how noisy the taptic engine can be; I turned off vibrate on my iPhone since the watch is so much more discreet, but it would be much better if it was practically silent. I'm hoping that later built models will improve on this.

contacted apple and they said this is a problem, they said that there should be no difference between tactic feedback from apple apps and 3rd party apps...
they wanted me to erase all content and re-pair it and stuff, but i didn't want to go through all that.
Interesting that they think its a problem though.
Like you said, its annoying how loud it can be, maybe fixable by software?
 

roddenshaw

macrumors 6502
Jun 5, 2006
272
17
contacted apple and they said this is a problem, they said that there should be no difference between tactic feedback from apple apps and 3rd party apps...
they wanted me to erase all content and re-pair it and stuff, but i didn't want to go through all that.
Interesting that they think its a problem though.
Like you said, its annoying how loud it can be, maybe fixable by software?

Well, they're wrong, the vibration pattern is different according to the notification (call, iMessage, third party notification). Anyway...

It would only be fixable by software if they change the the pattern to something that doesn't set up a resonant vibration.
 

Cruiser89

macrumors newbie
Jun 1, 2015
4
0
So I'm pretty new on here and I have the exact same problem. It happened to me after 6 days ownership of an Apple Watch Space Grey Sports.

The OP got the problem spot on. Feels like an iPhone vibration and a weird noise. Didn't make any difference if it was normal or 3rd party. Apple confirmed it is an issue.

When I checked the serial number it was build week 17 and the factory was FH.

Watch was received back to Apple on Fri 29/5/15 and currently waiting on a replacement when stocks arrive in.
 

flur

macrumors 68020
Nov 12, 2012
2,371
1,160
I'm pretty sure it's by design, regardless of what the call center says. Third party notifications are a tap-buzz and have been on my watch since I got it well over a month ago, despite re-pairing and numerous restarts, resets, etc.

It sure would be great if Apple would let us choose what haptic we got for different notification types.
 

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,253
Jacksonville, Florida
I am wishing my watch did an long haptic vibrate when I get an email or text as I do not feel the little "tap" on my wrist! In a noisy environment the little "ding" is also useless:(
 

speedyyellow

macrumors member
May 22, 2015
84
24
Cambs/London
There is a setting to get it to do that. Prominent Haptics or something in the iPhone app.

Edit: Yeah: My Watch -> Sounds & Haptics -> Prominent Haptic
 

Cruiser89

macrumors newbie
Jun 1, 2015
4
0
I'm pretty sure it's by design, regardless of what the call center says. Third party notifications are a tap-buzz and have been on my watch since I got it well over a month ago, despite re-pairing and numerous restarts, resets, etc.

It sure would be great if Apple would let us choose what haptic we got for different notification types.

Honestly... It was totally different. The watch and taptic were fine and on point and performing as expected for the first 6 days regardless of what app was notifying. Day 6 it all changed, it got really "fuzzy" and the engine was emitting a noise when it was in use which it had never ever done before.

I always had prominent haptic enable and even that got really really faint / fuzzy, not like it was before.

3 Separate advisers have confirmed that there are issues with the taptic engines and going for straight replacements.
 

jmh286

macrumors member
Apr 22, 2015
53
21
I agree that some of the third party notifications are different. In particular Alarm.com seems to vibrate more than anything else. Just my two cents
 

SisterBlue22

macrumors demi-goddess
Apr 29, 2015
2,454
5,803
Arizona
There are definitely different tap patterns depending on the type of notification, but with my watch on silent, none of the taps make any noise whatsoever, and I don't think they should.
 

Cruiser89

macrumors newbie
Jun 1, 2015
4
0
I appreciate that there are different tap patterns. The watch is not changing that. It is purely the engine that is now not doing what it did previously. It also sounds like it's in pain when it does tap...
 

flur

macrumors 68020
Nov 12, 2012
2,371
1,160
I appreciate that there are different tap patterns. The watch is not changing that. It is purely the engine that is now not doing what it did previously. It also sounds like it's in pain when it does tap...

Yeah, if it's making a sound, something's wrong with it.
 
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