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Dru_555

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 24, 2014
31
12
Let’s say I have my watch on my wrist, an AirPod or two in, and my phone is within Bluetooth range:

If I get a phone call, I see it come in on, and accept it from, my watch. Instantly, the call is handed off to my phone, and the audio comes through on my AirPod. During the call, from my watch, I cannot seem to control the volume of the call, but I can leave the phone call interface to use my watch however else I please. If I want to control the volume of the call, I have to go and grab my iPhone, and change the volume from there.

My first attempt to solve this problem:

I turn off Bluetooth on my phone, since I can’t even disconnect my watch from my phone through watchOS. If I do so before a call comes in, or before I make a call from the watch, it doesn’t hand it off. Now, while in the call, I can control the volume of the call with the Digital Crown, yet I cannot leave the call interface to use other features of my watch anymore. Indeed, I have to hang up so I can unlock my HomeKit controlled smart lock, or read a text I just got.

My second attempt to solve this problem:

I disable hand off from the settings menu within the watch app on my iPhone. Now, I have the same experience as when I had Bluetooth turned off before, but I don’t have to keep enabling and disabling Bluetooth from my phone. Good. I also have the same experience of not being able to use any other feature of my watch unless I end the call, but still, this does give me volume control from the watch. I also now can’t use any of the other, manual hand off features, if I want to disable this one automatic hand off from happening.

I just want to be able to leave my iPhone at home sometimes. I have a cellular watch, and it’s connected to my data plan. I leave the phone on and connected, so it can act as a router for incoming calls/sms messages while I’m away from it with my watch, but now I have to hang up my call every time I get home and need to use the Home app to unlock my door. I have to hang up my call to read messages coming in during the call. I have to hang up my call to see directions, and can’t even resume it until I’m done using the GPS. Is this the experience everyone is having? Nobody can do anything other than talk, when a call is connected through the watch with no phone, but then you have to keep your iPhone on you and use it for volume control if you want to be able to use other features of the watch while you talk? I can’t even answer a call at the gym because I’m worried that Workout will stop recording my session in the background. At the very least, I know I won’t be able to interact with Workout while I’m talking, even just to end the session when the call comes in so I can take a break and talk without panting. In this situation, I continually find myself, first, rejecting the call, second, pausing or ending the session, and, third, calling the person back. Not only is this far more fumbling around with my device, but it’s more fumbling around for the person calling me, too. I don’t feel satisfied that I bought this device to make my digital connection more fluid, and less disruptive to my routine, and yet it seems to add complications to performing simple tasks. I’d have returned it if it weren’t for the fact that this is all software controlled, and could change with any upcoming update, unless you all think something weird is going on, and you don’t seem to have this same experience with your duplicate setup.
 
Your first problem with controlling volume you can just hand over the call to your watch after you answer.

For all other issues it appears if you are on a call on the watch you can’t do anything else on screen. I’d imagine background activities such as workouts would still be running though as that would otherwise be a terrible oversight
 
I may be way off base because I’m a lot less knowledgeable than many here, but if your phone isn’t with you, and your cellular on your watch kicked in, the call wouldn’t switch over. Would that solve the problem?
 
I can’t even answer a call at the gym because I’m worried that Workout will stop recording my session in the background. At the very least, I know I won’t be able to interact with Workout while I’m talking, even just to end the session when the call comes in so I can take a break and talk without panting.

Why? Just answer it. Watch app can multitask. You might notice it when you’re listening to music while working out. So if the call comes in when you’re in workout session just answer it and continue your session. So does when your watch is giving you turn by turn direction.

Phone call on the watch is never intended for a long conversation so the fact that you’re afraid to run out of breath is just misguided.
 
I can see how that would be frustrating. I’ve been in situations where I’ve ended up having a phone call on my watch last much longer than I anticipated due to AirPods and me not even remembering I was on the watch! That said, I’ve not tried to multitask. Hopefully they add this support.
 
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