Is there a way to send text messages to my car instead of my Apple Watch?

[RNHurt]

I'm testing out an old Apple Watch Series 3 to see if I like it and the problem I'm having is that it keeps eating my text messages when I'm in my car. Before I got the watch all of my text messages would get sent to my car for me to see and respond to. After I started using the watch all (most?) of the messages go to the watch. This is not good because it's much easier to read and respond to messages in my car while I'm driving.
Is there a way to give preference to one Bluetooth device over another? For example, while I'm driving I would like messages to go to the car, otherwise send them to my watch.

Equipment:
- Tesla Model Y (2020)
- Apple Watch Series 3 (watchOS 8.7.1)
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (iOS 16.0.2)

 

[EVRider-FL]

I have an Apple Watch, but when I'm in the car my messages go to both the car and the Watch (or iPhone). Check the Bluetooth settings for your phone on the car touchscreen and make sure they're correct.

My Watch is not cellular, so messages come to the Watch via my phone. If your Watch is cellular and is receiving messages before your iPhone, that might explain why the car isn't seeing them. The car is paired to your phone, not the Watch.

Also, my messages are coming through the native iOS Messages app. If you're using something like WhatsApp, you might get different results.

 

[RNHurt]

@EVRider-FL I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. My car has been paired to my iPhone for over a year now and it's worked great (mostly). My watch is NOT a cellular version and I'm using the native iOS Messages app, just like you.

I will say that I received several messages last night and they all seemed to arrive at the car properly. So maybe it's a timing problem of some sort. Some times the car gets the messages, sometimes the watch is faster and grabs them first. I guess I'll just have to do a bit more testing to see if this is really a problem or I'm just imagining it.

 

[domodan]

I’ve got Apple Watch and both the watch and car get them. What version phone? It would have something to do with the Bluetooth spec on the old watch or phone. Might not support concurrent connections of the same type or something?

 

[RNHurt]

I was driving today and was getting messages on my car just fine. Maybe it was just me being new to the watch or something.

I guess I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens. Hopefully everything will work out properly.

 

[CapsEngineer]

Since no one has said it works for them with a cellular watch, I will add in that it works for me with phone, cellular watch and car all receiving the texts.

One your phone, make sure that under the Bluetooth settings for your car you have send notifications enabled.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

I have Apple Watch, iPhone 13pro max. I do not pair my watch to the Tesla at all. I pair my phone to the Tesla & make it the priority device (an option in Tesla bluetooth connection's gui). I also ensure that my phone is not silencing incoming message notifications. You can also set the Tesla to make a sound when new messages arrive, so you hear two sounds phone and Tesla within a second. The phone will send the message to the watch.

When a message tone happens, just say “hey siri read my messages” and I hear them on car speaker or I push CarPlay’s messages button (I added CarPlay in to my car). I typically use apple voice commands as it is less distracting & has more functionality than Tesla voice assistant. I also listen to my incoming voicemail via apple voice commands or CarPlay user interface.

 

[KDeanCville]

One thing that took some getting used to with the Apple Watch - when the iPhone is active (screen is awake), an incoming text will NOT show up on the Apple Watch. It still shows on the Tesla messaging app, just like on the phone.
It's frustrating not to have support for group texting on the Tesla messaging app.

 

[jjrandorin]

I was driving today and was getting messages on my car just fine. Maybe it was just me being new to the watch or something.

I guess I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens. Hopefully everything will work out properly.

I have an apple watch, and an iPhone (13) and sometimes the texts go to my watch, sometimes they go to the car and the watch, or sometimes they go to the car and not the watch. I havent taken the time to try to figure out what triggers what, or why "sometimes" the texts dont appear on the car and only appear on the watch, while other times they do appear on the car.

My gut feeling says it has something to do with whether my phone screen is active / unlocked or not, but thats just my gut feeling, I have not tested it, I just put up with it.

I'm only posting so that you know its not just you.