This issue applies to Android devices only. iPhones handle WhatsApp notifications differently and are not affected.
Why This Happens
On Android, WhatsApp runs a background service that displays a persistent "Checking for messages..." notification. This is a system-level Android notification from WhatsApp, not a message notification. Because it appears in your phone's notification panel, your COROS watch mirrors it like any other notification.
Fix: Disable WhatsApp Background Notifications
- On your Android phone, go to Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Notifications.
- Find the notification category labeled "Other notifications" (may also appear as "Background notifications" or "Miscellaneous" depending on your Android version).
- Turn off this notification category.
This stops the background status notification without affecting actual WhatsApp message notifications.
If the Fix Doesn't Work
- Path varies by manufacturer: On Samsung devices, go to Settings → Apps → WhatsApp → Notifications. On Pixel devices, go to Settings → Notifications → App notifications → WhatsApp. The exact path varies, but look for notification categories within WhatsApp's app settings.
- Check COROS app notification filter: In the COROS app, go to the Device page → Notifications. You can choose which apps are allowed to send notifications to your watch. If you only want WhatsApp message notifications (not background ones), the phone-side fix above is the correct approach.
- Force stop and restart WhatsApp after changing notification settings.
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version, as older versions may handle notification categories differently.