Now there have been a few times when calling on the watch failed but immediate redial worked. This was with the watch connected to the phone.
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Apple Watch 3 GPS, is it possible to make phone calls over WiFi with iPhone off?
- Thread starter AppleScruff1
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For some reason, the watch does not connect to my wife’s work WiFi. The phone connects but the watch won’t. I’m assuming it’s something due to the WiFi. I was at a local shopping mall today loaded with WiFi from several stores, many open networks. As an informal test, I connected the phone to a few networks, then shut off Bluetooth on the phone, then WiFi. In the networks I tested, the watch connected to WiFi. On some networks, I was able to make and receives calls with the watch, on others I wasn’t, but texting worked. I don’t know much about this and have no idea why some work completely and others partially and yet some not at all. Perhaps this is why Apple doesn’t push the WiFi calling on the GPS only version. It looks like we’ll end up activating cellular so she will have a hopefully reliable connection at work. I’ll update our experience as we continue to learn.
Since you move your wife to the LTE model, things get a little simpler with connecting to Wi-Fi once you enable Cellular service on the watch and then taking advantage of Carrier Wi-Fi Calling.
What does your wife have to do to connect to her companies Wi-Fi from her iPhone?
In order to connect from her iPhone does she have to enter a user id and password every time she wants to access the network or just the first time she connects to the SSID "Name" of the Wi-Fi network. In other work Wi-Fi networks, employees may have to provide the MAC address of the device so that it can be listed in the security system.
Dave
I’m across the country right now and tried it on my parents WIFI network. The watch showed that it was calling a number but nothing happened. When I tried calling my turned off iPhone it went straight to voicemail. Again as @AppleScruff1 my iMessage has worked in every circumstance. The phone didn’t work but it did do better then what’s happened previously. In that case as soon as I pushed call the watch would immediately return a call failed screen.
Definitely flakey to say the least. I decided when I get home tonight I’m switching my GPS only for a GPS plus LTE. Unfortunately this is a risk as my provider currently isn’t offering LTE support.
Definitely flakey to say the least. I decided when I get home tonight I’m switching my GPS only for a GPS plus LTE. Unfortunately this is a risk as my provider currently isn’t offering LTE support.
Guys, slightly off topic question.
Considering to buy AWS3 without LTE (since it's not supported in my country anyways).
Does it support streaming music (and radio) over WiFi? I know that LTE model does (over LTE and WiFi), but there's no info in the internet about regular GPS model.
Considering to buy AWS3 without LTE (since it's not supported in my country anyways).
Does it support streaming music (and radio) over WiFi? I know that LTE model does (over LTE and WiFi), but there's no info in the internet about regular GPS model.
Just curious as to why you are switching to the GPS + Cellular model without carrier cellular support? Without the LTE function being enabled and your eSIM being configured, your watch will work the same your current GPS watch works as far as Wi-Fi Calling.
I have also been thinking about how you are testing Wi-Fi calling. If your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling on iCloud-connected devices, you can also make and receive Wi-Fi calls even if your iPhone isn't on the same Wi-Fi Network or turned on.
When your first put your iPhone in Airplane mode or power it off. It can take 45 seconds or longer for your watch to notice that Bluetooth and or Wi-Fi connectivity is gone. I always wait a minute, check that my watch is on Wi-Fi by checking the watch's Control plan to see the Blue Wi-Fi waves are active. Then I try a test call from the watch, yes the first 1 or 2 may fail immediately but normally by the third try calls complete. This is to make sure that the watch is registered on the network to use Wi-Fi Calling on iCloud-connected devices.
Once I can make a call from the watch, I then try to call the watch and it should now ring on the watch and not go to Voicemail.
Dave
It's my first watch. As you know you have 14 days to return it. My cellular provider doesn't support it yet, but I expect they will within the next year. So if I want cellular I need to make sure I return the GPS only now, and get the LTE support for future use. If it turns out my provider doesn't offer support within the next 6 months I will switch providers.
I've been in this thread for a while and having being trying your suggestions as I've been troubleshooting. I usually wait a few minutes before I try to make the call. I also see the wifi signal in the watch control panel.
From what I know Apple Watch GPS ONLY is nothing but an extension of your Iphone. You can't make wifi calls with your phone off, you can do this only with the LTE version. The reason of wifi in the GPS version is this.. The watch normally is connected with the Iphone on Bluetooth but if u go far away you will be no longer connected and the watch will conect to the network through wifi but still dependent of iphone. Exemple: if you are in a big building and you left your iphone in the room and go 100 floors up but your watch and phone are connected to the same network you can make calls and everithing. If you want to make phone calls with your iphone off get an LTE version 
This is incorrect, the GPS-only series 3 and series 0, 1, and 2 all support Wi-Fi calling when your phone is turned off as long as your carrier supports it.From what I know Apple Watch GPS ONLY is nothing but an extension of your Iphone. You can't make wifi calls with your phone off, you can do this only with the LTE version. The reason of wifi in the GPS version is this.. The watch normally is connected with the Iphone on Bluetooth but if u go far away you will be no longer connected and the watch will conect to the network through wifi but still dependent of iphone. Exemple: if you are in a big building and you left your iphone in the room and go 100 floors up but your watch and phone are connected to the same network you can make calls and everithing. If you want to make phone calls with your iphone off get an LTE version
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That link is about Apple Watch with LTE. I have an Apple Watch 3 GPS only because in Romania doesn't suport LTE but my carrier supports WifiCall because i use it wit my Ihone and my Imac. Look closer to both images in that link and u will see
the LTE antenna and above it the Wifi
No, the link specifically mentions Wi-Fi only models after the section about the LTE model. I also can personally verify that it works because I have made many phone calls on a Series 0 over Wi-Fi without my phone being on via Verizon in the US.
You probably just need to enable Wi-Fi calling on your watch in your phone settings.
EDIT: It looks like no carriers in Romania (or indeed all of Europe) support "Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices" which is necessary to make calls when your phone is turned off - see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204040
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This are my last words about this .. i will show you a pic with the wificall option that you can enable on an LTE version .. option that i don't have.. now my iphone is on wificall at my carrier it says " Orange Wi-Fi ". There is another option in iphone setings where you can chose all other devices that can use wifi call and gues what.. only my imac appears. I wish it worked but it doesn't .. so.. doesn't matter.. Happy nu year
)))
Right, I updated my post - your carrier needs to support "Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices" for you to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi on the GPS-only Watch without your phone being turned on. No European carriers support this feature.This are my last words about this .. i will show you a pic with the wificall option that you can enable on an LTE version .. option that i don't have.. now my iphone is on wificall at my carrier it says " Orange Wi-Fi ". There is another option in iphone setings where you can chose all other devices that can use wifi call and gues what.. only my imac appears. I wish it worked but it doesn't .. so.. doesn't matter.. Happy nu year
You are 100% correct, as soon as I removed my Cellular plan from my Watch the option to enable Wi-Fi Calling in the Watch app showed up, thank you for the explanation,I don't have it on the LTE Watch since Wi-Fi Calling is Carrier based and not Wi-Fi Calling on supported iCloud-connected devices.
Apple indicates that it exists. Open the Apple Watch app on iPhone, tap My Watch, tap Phone, then turn on Wi-Fi Calls. If you don’t see the setting, make sure you enabled Wi-Fi calling on iPhone.
Link: https://help.apple.com/watch/#/apd2fe746e86
Dave
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With watchOS 5 this is even better because you can join a new Wi-Fi network from the watch directly without any iPhone intervention, I would say 70% of the time I have connectivity with the iPhone, of the remaining 30% most of the time I can get Wi-Fi connectivity and operate the watch, why to pay the carrier $10/month for something you will need 5% of the time.It was worth the $70 upgrade for her peace of mind, but I hate to give Verizon any more money.
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