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gallardoalex228
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

Apple Watch timer shows as Reminders on MacBook Pro with Continuity

I have an Apple Watch Series 7 (watchOS 26.6) and a MacBook Pro 2017 (macOS Ventura 13.7.8) and whenever I start a timer on my watch and get on my MacBook Continuity makes it show up as Reminders? I thought maybe it was just a timer added to Reminders or something but I opened Reminders on my Mac and it didn't show anything new, are timers supposed to sync across devices with Continuity or is this a bug?

Posted on Oct 24, 2026 4:15 PM

1 reply

WheelieNick
User level: Level 9 (74,110 points)

Oct 28, 2026 5:16 AM in response to gallardoalex228

Why This Happens

  • Handoff Misattribution: When you start a timer on your Apple Watch, the watch broadcasts the active state via Handoff so you can pick up or view related app states on your Mac or iPhone. 
  • The Reminders Icon Fallback: Because the macOS Dock or Handoff banner system sometimes fails to map the watch's internal Timer/Clock process to a proper native macOS icon, it defaults to displaying or tagging the suggestion with the Reminders or generic system icon. 
  • Not an Actual Reminder: It does not add an item to your Reminders app list; it is just a ghost Handoff suggestion lingering from the watch activity. 


How to Stop It

If you want to prevent your Apple Watch activities from showing up as Handoff suggestions on your Mac:

  1. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
  2. Go to General > Handoff.
  3. Toggle off Enable Handoff. 


Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256382357