Confused about Watch connectivity

[furam90]

Just wondering if anyone can help me out as I'm a little confused about the watch connectivity.

I assumed that the watch has no standalone wifi if its not with the iPhone, but I turned my iPhone on airplane mode and was still receiving messages on my watch. Am I overlooking something obvious or is there something else going on? Shouldn't that be impossible?

 

[aven8068]

The watch does have stand alone wifi, your just not able to configure it yourself. The phone configures the watches wifi beforehand through bluetooth.

When you place your phone into airplane mode, the watch just automatically defaults back to the wifi information that the phone had sent to it earlier. It goes through the same process when you walk out of bluetooth range from your phone.

 

[furam90]

The watch does have stand alone wifi, your just not able to configure it yourself. The phone configures the watches wifi beforehand through bluetooth.

When you place your phone into airplane mode, the watch just automatically defaults back to the wifi information that the phone had sent to it earlier.

Ah, ok thank you! I was so confused how it was happening.

 

[mistersandman]

So should I be able to make a call if my phone is in airplane mode and my watch is on wifi and my cellular provider has enabled that feature?

 

[simonx314]

So should I be able to make a call if my phone is in airplane mode and my watch is on wifi and my cellular provider has enabled that feature?

No, your iPhone must be joined to the same Wi-Fi network as your Watch.

 

[BrettDS]

So should I be able to make a call if my phone is in airplane mode and my watch is on wifi and my cellular provider has enabled that feature?

I don't believe so. I think all calls from the watch are routed through your phone even if your carrier allows for wifi calling.

 

[aven8068]

I don't believe so. I think all calls from the watch are routed through your phone even if your carrier allows for wifi calling.

Yes, thats correct. Im pretty sure it uses "continuity" to make phones calls though your phone, just like you can make cell calls though your Mac or iPad. Continuity requires both devices to be on the same wifi network.

Although it seems like as long as your watch was connected to wifi it should be capable of making FaceTime audio only calls to other FaceTime users by itself, but I'm pretty sure that feature isn't included on the watch.