diff --git a/apps/.i18n/native-source.json b/apps/.i18n/native-source.json
index 4801fe443cc5..f8c17c39e820 100644
--- a/apps/.i18n/native-source.json
+++ b/apps/.i18n/native-source.json
@@ -25931,7 +25931,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 8825,
+      "line": 8837,
       "path": "apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift",
       "source": "Approval",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -25939,7 +25939,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 8825,
+      "line": 8837,
       "path": "apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift",
       "source": "This approval was already",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -25947,7 +25947,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 8831,
+      "line": 8843,
       "path": "apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift",
       "source": "This approval was already set to Always Allow.",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -25955,7 +25955,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 8832,
+      "line": 8844,
       "path": "apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift",
       "source": "Approval set to Always Allow.",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -25963,7 +25963,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 10202,
+      "line": 10214,
       "path": "apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift",
       "source": "\\(urlText.prefix(500))…",
       "surface": "apple",
diff --git a/apps/ios/Sources/Chat/IOSGatewayChatTransport.swift b/apps/ios/Sources/Chat/IOSGatewayChatTransport.swift
index dad97033bfe1..f9c249b478c0 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Sources/Chat/IOSGatewayChatTransport.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Sources/Chat/IOSGatewayChatTransport.swift
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ struct IOSGatewayChatTransport: OpenClawChatTransport {
         agentID: String? = nil,
         expectedSessionRoutingContract: String? = nil,
         message: String,
-        thinking: String,
+        thinking: String?,
         idempotencyKey: String,
         attachments: [OpenClawChatAttachmentPayload],
         ifCurrentRoute expectedRoute: GatewayNodeSessionRoute?,
diff --git a/apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift b/apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift
index a9925dbf58ed..2939e12ecc2b 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Sources/Model/NodeAppModel.swift
@@ -6736,6 +6736,17 @@ extension NodeAppModel {
         event.messageKind ?? .chat
     }
 
+    nonisolated static func watchThinkingOverride(for messageKind: WatchMessageKind) -> String? {
+        // Free-form Watch chat has no one-turn thinking control, so it must not
+        // invent an override. Quick replies intentionally use a cheap level.
+        switch messageKind {
+        case .chat:
+            nil
+        case .quickReply:
+            "low"
+        }
+    }
+
     private func forwardWatchMessage(
         _ event: WatchAppCommandEvent,
         requeueOnFailure: Bool) async -> WatchMessageSendOutcome
@@ -6758,7 +6769,7 @@ extension NodeAppModel {
         if messageKind == .chat {
             self.focusChatSession(sessionKey)
         }
-        let thinking = messageKind == .quickReply ? "low" : "auto"
+        let thinkingOverride = Self.watchThinkingOverride(for: messageKind)
 
         do {
             let submittedAtMs = Int64(Date().timeIntervalSince1970 * 1000)
@@ -6766,7 +6777,8 @@ extension NodeAppModel {
                 let response = try await appleReviewDemoChatTransport.sendMessage(
                     sessionKey: sessionKey,
                     message: text,
-                    thinking: thinking,
+                    // Demo mode has no Gateway session from which to resolve an omitted level.
+                    thinking: thinkingOverride ?? "auto",
                     idempotencyKey: event.commandId,
                     attachments: [])
                 if messageKind == .quickReply {
@@ -6810,7 +6822,7 @@ extension NodeAppModel {
             let response = try await transport.sendMessage(
                 sessionKey: sessionKey,
                 message: text,
-                thinking: thinking,
+                thinking: thinkingOverride,
                 idempotencyKey: event.commandId,
                 attachments: [],
                 ifCurrentRoute: operatorRoute)
diff --git a/apps/ios/Tests/NodeAppModelInvokeTests.swift b/apps/ios/Tests/NodeAppModelInvokeTests.swift
index 0e9d8717c606..c3082fa10b54 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Tests/NodeAppModelInvokeTests.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Tests/NodeAppModelInvokeTests.swift
@@ -6165,6 +6165,11 @@ private func overrideNotificationServingPreference(_ enabled: Bool) -> () -> Voi
         #expect(outbox.nextQueuedMessage(isAvailable: true, gatewayStableID: "gateway-a") == reply)
     }
 
+    @Test func `watch messages only override thinking for quick replies`() {
+        #expect(NodeAppModel.watchThinkingOverride(for: .chat) == nil)
+        #expect(NodeAppModel.watchThinkingOverride(for: .quickReply) == "low")
+    }
+
     @Test func `watch message outbox discards permanent gateway failures`() {
         #expect(NodeAppModel._test_shouldDiscardFailedWatchMessage(code: "INVALID_REQUEST"))
         #expect(!NodeAppModel._test_shouldDiscardFailedWatchMessage(
diff --git a/apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Tests/OpenClawKitTests/ChatGatewayRequestTests.swift b/apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Tests/OpenClawKitTests/ChatGatewayRequestTests.swift
index 7cba3353cbfe..f9cc7ff122da 100644
--- a/apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Tests/OpenClawKitTests/ChatGatewayRequestTests.swift
+++ b/apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Tests/OpenClawKitTests/ChatGatewayRequestTests.swift
@@ -313,6 +313,18 @@ struct ChatGatewayRequestTests {
         #expect(String(decoding: encoded, as: UTF8.self).contains("a.png"))
     }
 
+    @Test func `send request omits inherited thinking override`() {
+        let inherited = OpenClawChatGatewayRequests.sendMessage(
+            sessionKey: "global",
+            agentID: nil,
+            expectedSessionRoutingContract: nil,
+            message: "inherit",
+            thinking: nil,
+            idempotencyKey: "send-inherit",
+            attachments: [])
+        #expect(inherited.params["thinking"] == nil)
+    }
+
     @Test func `question resolve request preserves answer arrays`() throws {
         let request = OpenClawChatGatewayRequests.resolveQuestion(
             id: "ask_123",