Exercise Goal Notifications Not Functioning As AppleCare Advises and Watch / IOS Documentation States

Watch Series 7, IOS 26.1 ......

1. Watch does not send goal completion notification IF exercise is started from the standard exercise watch face. (i.e. Elliptical in the case.)

2. Watch WILL send goal notifications (i.e. 1/2 way or 100% to goal & goal completion) IF started from the "Goal" setup panel.

3. Have spent 6+ hours on the phone with AppleCare including Sr. Advisors without resolving the issue.

4 Have tried every way of setting / saving / deleting / using exercise goals; unpaired / repaired the watch from an iPhone; shutdown / restart both iPhone and Watch; reloaded back-up of watch via iPhone.

5 Everyone I've reached out to at AppleCare or otherwise are stumped as Apple's instructions clearly state, ".... a user does not have to start an exercise from an exercise "Goals" panel to have the watch notify of an exercise goal progress / completion! It is clearly optional.

6 The iPhone and watched are definitely communicating as exercise data IS logged on the iPhone and is visible.

It is my conclusion that either 1) Apple's documentation is in error and an exercise with a Goal MUST be started from the "Goals" panel to receive notifications; OR 2) There is a bug within iOS 26.1 preventing correct operation as intended by Apple.

Either way I would appreciate any suggestions or guidance to resolve the issue. Regards. Fire Away!!

[Edited by Moderator]