Troubleshooting & FAQ

Something not working? Start here. Most issues are quick fixes.

Can’t Connect to Home Assistant

Check the basics first:

Your URL should match exactly what you type in your browser — including http:// vs https:// and the port number
Your iPhone needs to be on the same Wi-Fi as your HA server for the local URL
Try the IP address directly if homeassistant.local doesn’t work (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8123)
Using Nabu Casa? Enter your Nabu Casa URL as the Remote URL. Make sure your subscription is active and remote UI is enabled.

SSL errors? Self-signed certificates need to be trusted on your iPhone first: Settings > General > About > Certificate Trust Settings.

“Auth failed” on watch? Your credentials are invalid or expired. Open the iPhone app and sign in again from Settings → Home Assistant, or replace your long-lived access token.

Watch Not Connecting Directly

The watch needs to be on the same Wi-Fi as HA (or use Nabu Casa). Check Settings → Watch Behavior → Connection → Server Mode is set to Auto or Local. Some networks isolate devices on different VLANs — make sure the watch can actually reach your HA server.

If a direct connection isn’t available, the watch falls back to iPhone relay automatically.

Connection Keeps Dropping

Weak Wi-Fi is the usual culprit. Move closer to your router or add a mesh node. If you see frequent reconnects, bump up the Timeout under Settings → Watch Behavior → Connection (try 35s or 45s).

The connection dot on the watch tells you what’s happening: green = good, orange = degraded, red = offline.

Tiles Not Updating or Showing “Unavailable”

Not updating? Check the connection dot is green. Try closing and reopening the watch app. Make sure the entity still exists in HA.

“Unavailable”? That’s Home Assistant saying the physical device is offline or the integration needs reloading. Fix it on the HA side.

Layout Not Syncing

Open the iPhone app — syncing happens when it’s active. Make sure your watch and phone are connected (check the Watch app). Toggling any setting forces a sync.

Watch App Feels Slow

Split big pages — Pages with 20+ tiles are heavy. Use multiple smaller pages.
Lower camera refresh — Camera tiles use the most resources.
Ease up on animations — Lots of continuous animations on one page adds up.
Restart the app — Long sessions can accumulate memory pressure.

Can’t Find an Entity

Make sure it exists and isn’t hidden or disabled in Home Assistant. Pull down to refresh the entity list. Try browsing by domain instead of searching.

Gestures Not Working

Motion gestures — Check sensitivity isn’t Off. Start with High to confirm it works, then lower it. Make deliberate, quick wrist twists. Only works when the app is active.

Hand gestures — Requires Series 9, Ultra 2, or newer. Make sure the action isn’t set to Disabled.

Complications Showing Stale Data

Complications only auto-refresh if you turn it on — the default is manual refresh only (tap to update). Set an interval per complication (5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes) in the Widgets editor. watchOS limits how often complications can actually refresh — that’s an Apple restriction, not us.

Control Center widgets not showing? Requires watchOS 26 and later. Swipe up → scroll down → Edit to add them.

Notification Fails with “No Registered Push Token”

If Home Assistant shows an error like Failed to perform the action script/watch_nnnnn. No registered push token for watch ..., Home Assistant knows about the watch, but that watch has not checked in for notifications yet.

Open Wrist Assistant on the Apple Watch and let it fully sync once. If needed, pull to refresh or force-close and reopen the watch app, then try the notification again.

If it still fails:

Check on the watch that notifications for Wrist Assistant are enabled
Reopen Wrist Assistant on the watch and wait for it to connect
Retry the Home Assistant notification or blueprint run
If the watch still will not register, re-pair the watch or reinstall the watch app

Camera Issues

Black or won’t load? Check the camera works in HA directly. Try switching Stream Mode to Polling. Cameras work best on Wi-Fi.

Choppy? Use a slower refresh rate (3–5 seconds) and try Polling mode. Check your Wi-Fi signal.

FAQ

Does it need internet? Not for local connections. If your phone and HA are on the same network, no internet needed.

Can I use it without my iPhone nearby? Yes — if your watch has Wi-Fi or cellular and can reach HA directly or through Nabu Casa.

Does it drain watch battery? Normal use has minimal impact. Fast camera refresh, lots of animations, and high gesture sensitivity use more.

How many devices can I add? No limit, but 20+ tiles per page gets cramped. Spread them across pages.

Is my data sent anywhere? The app talks directly to your Home Assistant server — your URL, token, entity names, and states never leave the device. Anonymous app-usage analytics (PostHog) and crash reports (Firebase Crashlytics) are sent. No personal info, account IDs, or HA data is included. See Privacy Policy.

What watches are supported? Any Apple Watch on watchOS 11 or later. Hand gestures need Series 9, Ultra 2, or newer. Action Button is Ultra-only. Control Center widgets need watchOS 26 or later.

Can I use Siri? Yes — toggle devices, run scenes, set brightness, check states, and more. See Siri Shortcuts.

Can I back up my layout? Yes — export to a file, sync with iCloud, or share with family. See Backup & Restore.

Does it work with Nabu Casa? Yes. Enter your Nabu Casa remote URL as the server address. Make sure your subscription is active and remote UI is enabled.

Can I send voice announcements? Yes — use TTS quick menu for pre-set messages or Voice Broadcast to record and play live audio on your speakers.

Can I control devices based on my room? Yes — set up a room sensor and Wrist Assistant can auto-switch pages as you walk between rooms, jump to the current room with a gesture, or use Point Control to point at a device and twist, double-pinch, or tap to toggle it.