Apple Watch - iPhone "chain" apps like Lookout

[saxman211]

Does anyone know of any apps that allow your applewatch to notify you (haptic or alarm) when you're getting away from your phone? I recently left my phone behind and a friend of mine, noticing I had an applewatch, asked me "Isn't that thing supposed to tell you when you're leaving your phone??"...

He was absolutely right, so I recently downloaded an app called "Lookout" that was supposed to do this, but apparently they took that feature away before I even got to use it. Are there any other apps like this??

 

[michaelb5000]

I don't know of any apps and lookout never worked well enough to use; too many false positives. This feature is so obvious I don't know why it isn't baked into the OS. But there may be a hardware issue with the watch that prevents the watch from noticing that it is separate from phone and that is the reason this app may not exist.

So it is possible that LTE could make this work, since then the processing could take place on the phone, and it could send a notification to the watch after separation. So for the phone to notify the watch after a minute. That ends up being a notification that the watch is switching to LTE (which also seems obvious).

 

[jhfenton]

I don't know of any apps and lookout never worked well enough to use; too many false positives. This feature is so obvious I don't know why it isn't baked into the OS. But there may be a hardware issue with the watch that prevents the watch from noticing that it is separate from phone and that is the reason this app may not exist.

So it is possible that LTE could make this work, since then the processing could take place on the phone, and it could send a notification to the watch after separation. So for the phone to notify the watch after a minute. That ends up being a notification that the watch is switching to LTE (which also seems obvious).

The Watch definitely notices when it loses contact with the iPhone. After a few seconds, it will display a red phone/slash icon (or a wifi icon if it is able to connect to a known wifi network).

I don't know why they don't have a notification option.

 

[saxman211]

The Watch definitely notices when it loses contact with the iPhone. After a few seconds, it will display a red phone/slash icon (or a wifi icon if it is able to connect to a known wifi network).

I don't know why they don't have a notification option.

Yes, the notification would be great some kind of haptic tap that lets you know you're leaving your phone. I was out of town last week and almost got on a train without my phone. Luckily I realized it before it was to late... It would be great to have that feature on the next watchos

 

[philbo7]

There's been a few times driving around town when I suddenly realized I left my iPhone at home. I realize this when looking at my Apple Watch which shows the "disconnected" icon. I have a Watch 3 with LTE on pre/back order and I'm not sure if the new features will help or hurt. On one hand, it will eliminate the need to have the iPhone with you, but on the other hand, it might no longer even show as disconnected from the iPhone because it has it's own connection. I agree, a notification app is needed.

 

[saxman211]

There's been a few times driving around town when I suddenly realized I left my iPhone at home. I realize this when looking at my Apple Watch which shows the "disconnected" icon. I have a Watch 3 with LTE on pre/back order and I'm not sure if the new features will help or hurt. On one hand, it will eliminate the need to have the iPhone with you, but on the other hand, it might no longer even show as disconnected from the iPhone because it has it's own connection. I agree, a notification app is needed.

That's a good question. I wonder how that'll work as well. I'm on an Apple Watch Series 2, so I won't have to worry about that. I think Lookout had a good thing going when they had the feature that let your watch inform you if you were leaving your phone behind... Too bad they just took it off...

 

[AbsynthMinded]

I see how this would be useful, another cool feature that could be added and toggled.

However, I will say its a function I would not use often. The nature of my job has me walking in and out of my personal phone range pretty frequently. To be alerted each time would be quite annoying.