I'm having this exact same problem. I purchased the device a week ago from best buy as open box. Got it configured and all was working well except WhatsApp notifications. I chatted with Samsung support and they said it was a bad device. So a few days after purchased, I returned and bought a brand new (not open box) Watch 4 device only to experience the same issue. I confirmed all notification settings are active in the Galaxy Wear app, WhatsApp and the phone notification settings. I get notifications for all other apps, but for WhatsApp, it does not wake the Watch 4 screen nor does it vibrate. But I will see the orange dot indicating a notification. When I turn the bezel, I see the message from WhatsApp. My phone rings/chimes/vibrates every time a WhatsApp notification comes in. I also tried resetting the watch 5 times. And uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp twice (once preserving settings, and once deleting settings). Still no luck.
Ironically, I upgraded to the Watch 4 from the Watch (version 1) which received WhatsApp notifications just fine. I also have an Amazon Amazfit and it works fine with WhatsApp as well. The new Galaxy Watch 4 is the only one not handling WhatsApp notifications as expected. With the purchase of the Watch 4, I have unpaired both the Watch 1 and the Amazfit to see if they may be interfering in some way. Afterwards, there was still no Watch 4 WhatsApp haptic for audible notifications (only the orange dot with the message when I turn the bezel). I contacted support again and they are now saying they believe it to be a software issue that they have escalated internally.
I am running version R890XXU1CUJ2. One UI Watch version 3.0. Has anyone else figured this out??? I'm trying to give it time, but if this doesn't pan out in the next week, I'll have to return. Too expensive for this fundamental breakdown.
Thanks in advance.
