Does “Find My” require the Watch to be near the iPhone? (GPS S3)

[nickosbad]

Hiya, my daughter wants to start walking to her friends house and to school but I’d like to be able to see where she is.

I don’t want her taking her iPhone (6s) with her so was thinking of getting her a Series 3 Watch.

Does the location tracking feature on a GPS S3 require the Watch to be actively in range of the iPhone or could she leave the phone at home and we could see where she is using the Watch??

 

[Howard2k]

Find My is a network of Apple devices. If she does not have her phone then the Find My feature will track the watch using other nearby devices that are participating. If the school has Wifi and if her watch connects to that wifi then it can also indicate its location through the wifi.

It will work better with the phone but will not be totally useless without.

 

[iStorm]

Depending on her age, something like the GizmoWatch might be a better fit. Parents can track the location at all times, and she would be able to call or text trusted contacts in case of an emergency. (She wouldn't be able to do this with a GPS S3, unless the watch is on a Wi-Fi network.)