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Apple Watch connected to U.K. The Cloud public wifi

matrix07 said:
Could you prove it? Show it to us how it works.

The Apple support page has made it very clear: "No public Wi-Fi that require logins, subscription or profiles." and my test corroborated that.
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I'm not sure I could do anything more than take a picture of my watch while I'm at work on the other side of the building with the cloud displayed on the watch but that's not really proof since it could be faked. My MAC ID of my phone is registered with the portal on a 364 day guest pass. So it auto connects for 364 once you log in the first day. My watch is not registered. But it works anyway. My hypothesis is that the watch is using MAC spoofing either as a primary or fallback means of connecting.
 
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frumpy16 said:
I'm not sure I could do anything more than take a picture of my watch while I'm at work on the other side of the building with the cloud displayed on the watch but that's not really proof since it could be faked. My MAC ID of my phone is registered with the portal on a 364 day guest pass. So it auto connects for 364 once you log in the first day. My watch is not registered. But it works anyway. My hypothesis is that the watch is using MAC spoofing either as a primary or fallback means of connecting.
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I think that must be how my watch connects to the public 'the Cloud' network, as you can register 2 devices per account. I have my iPhone and MBA, registered. If I try to login on a 3rd device it ask me to remove one of the already registered devices first.
The watch logs in ok and works on the network without removing any other devices. It must be spoofing it's MAC address to be the same as the phone as you say?

But then that begs the question: how does the Watch know to spoof its MAC address for public wifi with login page, but not when it's on your home network?
 
Recognition said:
I think that must be how my watch connects to the public 'the Cloud' network, as you can register 2 devices per account. I have my iPhone and MBA, registered. If I try to login on a 3rd device it ask me to remove one of the already registered devices first.
The watch logs in ok and works on the network without removing any other devices. It must be spoofing it's MAC address to be the same as the phone as you say?

But then that begs the question: how does the Watch know to spoof its MAC address for public wifi with login page, but not when it's on your home network?
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It probably tries straight up to connect to the network because it's in your known list from the iPhone. When it tries it gets denied straight up so it uses MAC spoofing as a secondary means.
 
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Happens in intu shopping centres too. Ios10 and wos3 both login to public wifi bypassing the tap to connect. My Macbook however brings the connect screen up. Though Ive not updated the os yet.
 
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frumpy16 said:
It probably tries straight up to connect to the network because it's in your known list from the iPhone. When it tries it gets denied straight up so it uses MAC spoofing as a secondary means.
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So we think this is intentional behaviour?

It's strange Apple would not say anything about this as some people want to be untethered from their phones when out and about. It could be the tipping point to persuade them to buy the Watch.
 
Recognition said:
So we think this is intentional behaviour?

It's strange Apple would not say anything about this as some people want to be untethered from their phones when out and about. It could be the tipping point to persuade them to buy the Watch.
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It would have to be intentional. "Spoofing" anything sounds like hacking to a layperson so I could see why Apple wouldn't advertise this. But you have a good point- people may buy the watch if this was advertised. Who knows.
 
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Recognition said:
But then that begs the question: how does the Watch know to spoof its MAC address for public wifi with login page, but not when it's on your home network?
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Apples and oranges surely - how many people have an open home wifi network set up like this rather than a WPA/WPA2 passcode?
 
nicho said:
Apples and oranges surely - how many people have an open home wifi network set up like this rather than a WPA/WPA2 passcode?
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Depends where in the world you are. If your In the uk then there is a vast wifi network especially if your a b.t customer.
 
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Gav2k said:
Depends where in the world you are. If your In the uk then there is a vast wifi network especially if your a by customer.
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yes but... you're surely not going to log into that over your own internal network with higher throughput :/
 
nicho said:
yes but... you're surely not going to log into that over your own internal network with higher throughput :/
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This isn't about being at home. This is more a case of using the watch as a stand alone device. And trust me when my iPhone was in for a warranty replacement last week my watch worked flawlessly.
 
Gav2k said:
This isn't about being at home. This is more a case of using the watch as a stand alone device. And trust me when my iPhone was in for a warranty replacement last week my watch worked flawlessly.
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Please reread the post you quoted...
 
Recognition said:
So we think this is intentional behaviour?

It's strange Apple would not say anything about this as some people want to be untethered from their phones when out and about. It could be the tipping point to persuade them to buy the Watch.
Click to expand...
Also probably don't want to say anything due to it depending upon how the public network is setup. Both of those currently listed appear to Store the authorization for an extended time. Some only give you a couple hours and then you need to log in again.
 
ohio.emt said:
Also probably don't want to say anything due to it depending upon how the public network is setup. Both of those currently listed appear to Store the authorization for an extended time. Some only give you a couple hours and then you need to log in again.
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I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of guy so I believe Apple simply didn't say it because it can't. We don't even know the method of the guy's "public" Wi-Fi sign-in, or how it was set up like you said. The way I see it is simple: iOS 9 can't automatically sign-in this kind of Wi-Fi that need signing-in on browser. it doesn't have this ability, and so doesn't the watch.
If @frumpy16's watch DID connect then his phone didn't need to sign in on the browser either. And if that's the case then of course his watch will connect but that's not what we're talking about here. This thread isn't for "can my watch connect while away from phone?" since we already know from beginning that it can.
If he can shoot a short video showing us he has to log in to this Wi-Fi on browser then turn on Airplane mode on his phone. And show us the watch can still get notification THEN we will have concrete informations to rely upon.
 
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matrix07 said:
I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of guy so I believe Apple simply didn't say it because it can't. We don't even know the method of the guy's "public" Wi-Fi sign-in, or how it was set up like you said. The way I see it is simple: iOS 9 can't automatically sign-in this kind of Wi-Fi that need signing-in on browser. it doesn't have this ability, and so doesn't the watch.
If @frumpy16's watch DID connect then his phone didn't need to sign in on the browser either. And if that's the case then of course his watch will connect but that's not what we're talking about here. This thread isn't for "can my watch connect while away from phone?" since we already know from beginning that it can.
If he can shoot a short video showing us he has to log in to this Wi-Fi on browser then turn on Airplane mode on his phone. And show us the watch can still get notification THEN we will have concrete informations to rely upon.
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Yeah, I'm not doing that. I'm not really interested in proving to faceless people on the internet that I'm correct. I am correct and providing a data point. If affects me none of you think I'm lying but I stand to gain nothing by doing so.
 
matrix07 said:
Today I got back to the same spot to test for the last time. This time I turned on Airplane mode on iPhone way before I got into the range.
When I was there I checked my Apple Watch and saw its Airplane Mode also turned on since I was mirroring the iPhone so I turned it off on the watch. I checked the phone. It's still in Airplane mode.
iRWucZv.jpg


I checked Wi-Fi. It was off.
aBHRNsT.jpg


So I checked my watch. It's connected!
TXmvYw8.jpg


So the watch definitely can connect to known Wi-Fi on its own.
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I might speak too soon. Today I was going out without a phone and I thought "Why not? Just test it for the last time completely without a phone". So I got back to the spot and checked the watch. The watch show it's connected.
cOiGKAs.jpg


Then I tested Weather app (I didn't do this last time. The time I turned on Airplane mode long before I reached Wi-Fi range). There was no data. I checked Music app and it plainly say I need internet. hmm...

When I tested OS 3 the first time I let the phone connected first, then turned off Bluetooth but the watch still connected and I can check weather. Now without a phone completely (by turning Airplane mode on before getting to the range or completely left it at home) the watch still show connected but can't grab data from internet.
 
Hmm, that's interesting, I've only tried sending text messages which did work for me (albeit a bit slow to send/receive).
I'll try other apps that require the internet today and see what happens.
 
Just sat in a Pret near Euston, London.
iPhone has Bluetooth switched off.
Watch saying it's not connected to the phone.
iPhone auto logs into the cloud wifi network, Watch connects to a wifi network too.
Then luckily a mate texts me, it pops up on the phone, then about 30 seconds later it pops up on the Watch too.

So messages work (for me).
Tried the stock weather app which wouldn't update though.
The stocks app also would not get any data and the maps app said it couldn't connect to the phone.
But it looks like the BBC app could update its headlines.
These are probably the same limitations being on wifi that you'd get on your home network?
 
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I need to test text message next time, maybe even a phone call seeing it can call emergency in OS 3.
 
I remember this happening in Leeds when I had my iphone in for a quick screen replacement, it was going to take an hour so left the phone with them and went for a meal,I was surprised that i still got emails and texts when at the other side of the shopping center, then I knew when my phone was being worked on as it went off about half an hour into our meal.

To clarify this was on OS2 NOT OS3, and I had the wifi profile installed on my iphone via the sky wifi app.
 
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Went to get my hair cut this evening. The place I use has wifi, and I usually take my iPhone along to pass the time until my appointment, but tonight I left it at home. My Watch showed the green cloud symbol, and I was able to get BBC News headlines and update Carrot Weather.
 
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