Confused: iWatch functions stopped working

[Hankster]

I have the iWatch Ultra. Been using an iWatch for five years along with an iPhone. It's a cellular iWatch. Last night I broke my iPhone so I turned it off. Now, my iWatch cannot receive emails or text. It can call but that's it. I have been away from my iPhone (miles away) and my iWatch works fine receiving email and text.

Am I missing something? Do you need to have an active iPhone for the iWatch to function? It has cellular. I thought email, text, and phone were suppose to work fine without an iPhone nearby or even on.

 

[bricktop_at]

iWatch isn’t a thing really… just wanted to get this off my chest, thanks for reading 😉

Oh and on topic, I think for messages and stuff like that, the cellular connection is just used to sync with an online iPhone - that might explain why you can‘t do much more than call people

 

[Hankster]

iWatch isn’t a thing really… just wanted to get this off my chest, thanks for reading 😉

Oh and on topic, I think for messages and stuff like that, the cellular connection is just used to sync with an online iPhone - that might explain why you can‘t do much more than call people

I have been on six hour road bike rides without my iPhone and my iWatch receives email and text and phone calls. I want to confirm the iWatch requires an iPhone that's turned on to receive email and text which doesn't make sense if it's cellular.

Also, unsure what you mean by "iWatch isn't a thing". You know what I mean. People...

 

[BenGoren]

Is the phone only powered off, or did you also erase it / remove it from your AppleID / etc. ?

In general, the watch shouldn’t care about the phone except for setup, updates, that sort of thing. But I wouldn’t at all be surprised if doing something that tells Apple “this phone isn’t mine” messes with things.

b&

 

[ventmore]

According to Apple, it should work fine "When your iPhone is off or out of range":

Use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support

Learn what you can do with your Apple Watch when your iPhone isn't with you.

support.apple.com

 

[antiprotest]

Also, unsure what you mean by "iWatch isn't a thing". You know what I mean. People...

To be fair, you must also know what he means. So if he shouldn't complain because he knows what you mean, then you also shouldn't complain when you know what he means by 'iWatch isn't a thing."

 

[bricktop_at]

Also, unsure what you mean by "iWatch isn't a thing". You know what I mean. People...

Sure I know what you mean, otherwise I would have asked you to specify it.

But I will explain of course: There is (and was) no iWatch available from Apple, so it seems you either have a fake one (which could also be a reason for your issues) or you didn‘t know that there is no Apple iWatch and therefore I wanted to point this out.

Sorry if that was confusing 😉

 

[oric1sg]

He meant Apple Watch

 

[Fozziebear71]

*Apple Watch

 

[vrj9]

He meant Apple Watch

*Apple Watch

Yeah but the OP should still know what device they have because there is potential to get something mixed up.

 

[turbochgd]

Am I missing something? Do you need to have an active iPhone for the iWatch to function? It has cellular. I thought email, text, and phone were suppose to work fine without an iPhone nearby or even on.

You are correct. Email, text and phone should all work fine on your watch’s stand alone cellular no matter if your phone is on or off. Otherwise what is the watch cellular for.

 

[Lee_Bo]

I have the iWatch Ultra. Been using an iWatch for five years along with an iPhone. It's a cellular iWatch. Last night I broke my iPhone so I turned it off. Now, my iWatch cannot receive emails or text. It can call but that's it. I have been away from my iPhone (miles away) and my iWatch works fine receiving email and text.

Am I missing something? Do you need to have an active iPhone for the iWatch to function? It has cellular. I thought email, text, and phone were suppose to work fine without an iPhone nearby or even on.

Stupid question, but is the cellular activated on your Apple Watch, or are you using WiFi only? If WiFi then yes, your Apple Watch pretty much becomes a device that tells time if your iPhone is off.

My Apple Watch works fine when I go for a bike ride on in my kayak. I still get emails, text messages and phone calls. Definitely worth $10/mo for cellular.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Stupid question, but is the cellular activated on your Apple Watch, or are you using WiFi only? If WiFi then yes, your Apple Watch pretty much becomes a device that tells time if your iPhone is off.

My Apple Watch works fine when I go for a bike ride on in my kayak. I still get emails, text messages and phone calls. Definitely worth $10/mo for cellular.

‘That is what I was thinking, is does the OP have a plan for his watch. Sounds like no

 

[turbochgd]

‘That is what I was thinking, is does the OP have a plan for his watch. Sounds like no

He did say he has gone on bike rides without his phone and was receiving texts, email and calls. Sounds like a cellular plan for his watch is active.

 

[bricktop_at]

Oh and on topic, I think for messages and stuff like that, the cellular connection is just used to sync with an online iPhone - that might explain why you can‘t do much more than call people