How comes the watch wakes when I am nearby?

[Giuanniello]

I am almost totally unaware what an AppleWatch can do, got my son a new one a while ago and I got his old one, I think it's a 4th version or whatever, I only use it when I go run (when...) and occasionally, most of the times it's on its charging dock and I find it weird that when I get close it wakes up, how does it know I am around?

Grazie

 

[matrix07]

Because it's alive. 😀

 

[GubbyMan]

I am almost totally unaware what an AppleWatch can do, got my son a new one a while ago and I got his old one, I think it's a 4th version or whatever, I only use it when I go run (when...) and occasionally, most of the times it's on its charging dock and I find it weird that when I get close it wakes up, how does it know I am around?

Grazie

Because you’re litterally making the watch move. The accelerometer can feel slight movements if you get close to the watch and have heavy steps.

This will only happen if the watch is charging.

 

[waw74]

it's called nightstand mode.
usually just tapping on the table that the watch is charging on is enough to wake it up.

Add an alarm on Apple Watch

Use the Alarms app to play a sound or vibrate your Apple Watch at a set time.

support.apple.com

How to use Apple Watch's fantastic nightstand mode

Nightstand mode turns your Apple Watch into a mini bedside alarm clock, complete with snooze and time. Here's how to use it.

www.cultofmac.com

 

[Giuanniello]

Nope, I don't touch anything but I will double check and let you know, grazie

 

[Giuanniello]

You were right, the table where the watch gets charged is a very sensitive frame, it just takes to hit a harder step on the floor to make it vibrate and as such the watch gets awake.

Grazie

 

[yurgrenn]

i've been noticing the same and wondered about it too
figured it's because paired iphone is near by and unlocked
proximity is determined by signal strength probably

 

[Bichon]

i've been noticing the same and wondered about it too
figured it's because paired iphone is near by and unlocked
proximity is determined by signal strength probably

No, it does it even when the phone is far away and locked. GubbyMan had it right in his post above, it's the accelerometer in the watch. I noticed when staying in a hotel with concrete and steel construction that I had to tap the night table -- it didn't light up from my footsteps as it does with the wood frame construction of my home.

 

[GubbyMan]

i've been noticing the same and wondered about it too
figured it's because paired iphone is near by and unlocked
proximity is determined by signal strength probably

That's how the iPhone always on display works. If you're wearing an Apple Watch and get far from the iPhone it will turn off the iPhone display completely even if the always on setting is turned on. It knows this from bluetooth signal strength, no U1 chip needed.

 

[yurgrenn]

hi again🤗
sorry for little confusion😅
apparently we all are correct(including me somewhat😂)
just talking about different but related things

so in nightstand mode (which i don't use and that was reason for the confusion)
its super sensitive and acts just as described in other posts
and that is the correct answer for the original question
but😏
i had been wondering and talked about screen turning on when not in nightstand mode while watch just laying around

and it turns out that
by design this is most likely a reaction to watch being picked up when iphone is near by and just been swiped up from lockscreen (watch gets unlocked too)
but sometimes it also triggers by surface vibration