Two problems bring most people to this page. Either Telegram has vanished from the Apple Watch altogether, or it’s installed but notifications don’t arrive on the wrist. Here is what’s going on with each, and the settings to check, in the order most likely to fix it.
This guide is written by the makers of WristGram, an unofficial, independent Telegram client for Apple Watch. The fixes below work for Telegram’s own app too.
Why Telegram disappeared from your Apple Watch
If you had Telegram on your watch years ago and it’s gone now, you didn’t delete it by accident. Telegram removed its original Apple Watch app in 2022. For about four years there was no official watch app, only notifications mirrored from the iPhone and third-party clients.
In June 2026 Telegram launched a new, fully native Apple Watch app. There’s a catch: it requires watchOS 26. If it’s missing on your watch, check these:
- watchOS version. On the watch, open Settings › General › About. If it’s below 26, the official app won’t install. Update from the Watch app on your iPhone (General › Software Update).
- Telegram on the iPhone is up to date. Update it from the App Store first.
- The app was never installed on the watch. In the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll to Available Apps and tap Install next to Telegram, or install it from the App Store on the watch. You can also turn on General › Automatic App Install.
- You’ve installed it but can’t log in. The official app logs in with a QR code from the iPhone. If it’s stuck, see how to fix “Preparing QR” and invalid QR code errors.
If you can’t or don’t want to update to watchOS 26, a third-party client is the alternative. WristGram runs on watchOS 11 and later and lets you log in with your phone number right on the watch. See the full comparison of Telegram apps for Apple Watch.
Why Telegram notifications don’t show on the watch
Without a watch app open, Telegram alerts on your wrist are usually your iPhone’s notifications being mirrored. Apple’s rule is simple: when your iPhone is unlocked and in use, notifications go to the iPhone, not the watch. They go to the watch when the iPhone is locked or asleep and the watch is on your wrist and unlocked. Many “not working” reports are just this rule. Lock the iPhone and send yourself a test message before changing anything.
1. Check mirroring in the Watch app
On the iPhone, open the Watch app › Notifications, scroll down to Telegram and make sure mirroring of iPhone alerts is on. If Telegram is missing from that list, turn its notifications on in the iPhone’s Settings › Notifications › Telegram first.
2. Check Telegram’s own notification settings
In Telegram on your iPhone, open Settings › Notifications and Sounds and check that private chats, groups and channels are enabled. Then open the chat that’s silent: if it’s muted, the watch stays silent too. Telegram may also hold back phone alerts for a short time while you’re actively using Telegram on a computer.
3. Check Focus modes
A Focus (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work and so on) on the iPhone is usually mirrored to the watch. If Telegram isn’t on that Focus’s allowed list, its alerts are held back. Check iPhone Settings › Focus, or swipe into Control Center on the watch to see whether a Focus is on.
4. Check wrist detection and the passcode
Notifications only reach a watch that’s unlocked and on your wrist. Make sure wrist detection is on (Watch app › Passcode) and the watch fits snugly enough to read your wrist.
5. Restart both devices
If everything above is set correctly and alerts still don’t arrive, restart the iPhone and the watch. That often clears a stuck connection between them.
6. Using more than one Telegram app on the watch?
If you have both mirrored iPhone alerts and a watch app that receives its own notifications, you may get the same message twice. Turn off mirroring for whichever one you don’t want.
Replying to Telegram from your wrist
How you reply depends on which app the notification came from. In Telegram’s official watch app you open the chat and reply there. Mirrored iPhone notifications sometimes offer a reply button, depending on the notification.
WristGram’s notifications are designed for the wrist. Each message notification shows the sender, their photo and the full message, with three buttons:
- Reply – type or dictate an answer without opening the app.
- Mark as read – clear the unread badge everywhere you use Telegram.
- Mute – silence a noisy chat or group straight from the alert.
Incoming Telegram voice calls ring on the watch’s native call screen, so you can answer them on your wrist even when the iPhone isn’t nearby. Because WristGram works without your iPhone, notifications keep coming over Wi-Fi or cellular when your phone is at home.
Rich notifications with Reply, Mark as read and Mute, plus calls on the native watch screen.
How to turn Telegram notifications off on the watch
- All Telegram alerts: Watch app on iPhone › Notifications › Telegram › turn notifications off.
- One chat: mute it in Telegram. The mute applies to every device.
- For a while: turn on a Focus mode, or the watch’s Silent mode to keep alerts but drop the sound.
Still stuck? Read how to get Telegram on Apple Watch or contact WristGram support.