DYK: Checking Email on Cellular/Wifi Only on AW is not Possible

[jpy1980]

*Rant mode on*

So I just got an AW6 with Cellular so I could be a bit detached from my phone and enjoy the outdoors more. Yet I am a real estate broker by professional and I get important emails throughout the day. After activating the watch on cellular and turning off my iphone to see how it performed, I was not able to check my email. It kept saying that the connection was not active. I got all my other notifications. After spending about 3 hours on the phone with Apple Support, a top level software support person said that the function is actually not possible without it being tethered to the phone. Ugh, there goes that notion of checking emails on cellular and WIFI only.

TLDR: can't check email on cellular/wifi without the watch being tethered to the iphone.

Yet I am still enjoying the experience of being phone free, so my clients will either have to just give me a call or wait til I get back from getting some fresh air =)

PS Also sucks that Google Voice doesn't have a native app on the AW as well. Bummer. I guess I was expecting to have a "mini iPhone" on my wrist, when in actuality I should consider it more of an extension of the iphone..

/rant

 

[Apple_Robert]

You don't need your phone with you to check mail. It just needs to be turned on.

 

[jpy1980]

You don't need your phone with you to check mail. It just needs to be turned on.

Thank you for your response! I actually appreciate it as I see your helpful posts all over the forum.

I actually tried that with the apple tech and my watch couldnt check my mail. At that point they said it wasnt possible. Am I missing something here?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Thank you for your response! I actually appreciate it as I see your helpful posts all over the forum.

I actually tried that with the apple tech and my watch couldnt check my mail. At that point they said it wasnt possible. Am I missing something here?

I apologize for posting incorrect information. I thought you could receive email without the phone present and I have done so on a few occasions with my watch while in the car but, according to Apple Support documents, it isn't an available feature. I guess the two times it happened for me was a fluke.

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

 

[jpy1980]

I apologize for posting incorrect information. I thought you could receive email without the phone present and I have done so on a few occasions with my watch while in the car but, according to Apple Support documents, it isn't an available feature. I guess the two times it happened for me was a fluke.

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

Yea seriously, right? So odd. Why would this be a non feature for the watch?

Does it have to do with security purposes? So odd.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yea seriously, right? So odd. Why would this be a non feature for the watch?

Does it have to do with security purposes? So odd.

I don't know why it supposedly isn't offered on the cellular version which I have as well. I know I am not crazy in that I received two email replies while in my car and my phone was at home. My watch is paired to my car as well but, I don't think that has anything to do with it.

Apple should offer the feature. It makes no sense seeing how we can get texts without the phone present.

 

[jpy1980]

Actually your initial response may be correct, but with a caveat. I just took my wife's phone with me for a walk outside with my dog. I went far away enough to get away from my wifi, but this time left my phone on at home like you said. I actually got my notifications, like google voice, and when I sent myself an email from my wife's phone to my NON ME.COM (Apple mail), I checked the email account and the sent email popped up! Very odd. So maybe apple's documentation says that their email is not supported but other domains are? I will do more sleuthing tomorrow and report back.

 

[ardsar]

Apples email app does sync without the phone being nearby or on. Ive jus checked and can sync iCloud email with no issues.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Apples email app does sync without the phone being nearby or on. Ive jus checked and can sync iCloud email with no issues.

Glad to see I am not going crazy, although that may already be happening and I am just to lucid in the moment to know.

 

[mk313]

Apples email app does sync without the phone being nearby or on. Ive jus checked and can sync iCloud email with no issues.

Agree. It works for me as well. It’s not something I use very often but I can think of specific times that I have received emails on my watch when my phone was miles away.