That pesky red badge on your Apple Watch not disappearing can be super annoying, right? It’s basically just a notification badge telling you there are unread messages, but sometimes it sticks around even after you’ve read everything. A lot of users end up ignoring it or scratching their heads, especially because Apple’s notification system isn’t always that straightforward. The good news? There are a couple of simple tricks to fix it without resetting your device or diving into complex settings.
How to Fix the Unread Message Badge on Apple Watch
Method 1: Use Siri to voice out your unread messages
This works like a charm if you want to clear the badge without manually opening each message. The idea is to have Siri read aloud all your unread messages — kind of weird but it gets the job done. Plus, it feels like your personal assistant is helping you declutter your notifications.
This fix applies when the badge refuses to go away, even after you’ve already read your messages. Expect the badge to disappear once Siri goes through the unread list. Be warned, sometimes Siri acts a little strange, especially if your Apple Watch isn’t super responsive or if you’re running an older watchOS version. But usually, it works on the first try.On some setups, this feels a little buggy at first, but a quick restart of the watch sometimes helps.
How to do it:
- Hold the digital crown until Siri kicks in — you’ll see the little icon or hear that chime.
- Then, say:
Hey Siri, read all my unread messages - Siri will start to read the messages aloud. You can just walk away and let it do its thing.
Once Siri is done, the red badge should vanish. Not sure why it works, but on one watch it cleared up immediately, on another it took a reboot afterward. So, give it a shot; it’s simple and quick.
Method 2: Manually check and mark unread messages as read
If Siri’s voice option doesn’t do the trick, or you just prefer to handle it yourself, the manual way still works fine. Basically, just go into the Messages app on your watch and make sure everything is marked as read.
This method’s good when there are only a few unread messages or if Siri’s being stubborn. Sometimes the badge gets stuck due to a glitch or a missed notification sync — a quick manual check ensures everything’s up to date.
Here’s how:
- Open the Messages app on your watch by tapping its icon on the home screen.
- Tap the arrow or the unread message indicator to dive into the list of messages.
- Scroll through and tap each unread message to open and mark it as read. Sometimes just opening the message clears the badge, so don’t skip this step.
- Once you’ve gone through all unread messages, the badge should go away.
Working with the watch’s native interface is usually reliable, but be aware that if the watch or Messages app is frozen or lagging, it might not update immediately. So, a quick restart after mass reading can help seal the deal.
So, that’s basically it. Whether you prefer a quick voice command or just manually go through your messages, these little tricks usually clear that stubborn red badge without needing a factory reset or major troubleshooting.