iPhone Connectivity

[warburg]

Is there any need to have wifi and Blutooth turned on in the iPhone for connectivity with the Apple Watch? I don't know where I got this idea, but I'm having trouble with Notifications on the Apple Watch, especially mail, and I wondered if this had anything to do with it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Another thread on this?

Once you've connected to a wifi network on iPhone and Watch, you don't need the iPhone (i.e., can turn it off) to still be able to do the following:

• Send and receive messages using iMessage
  
  
• Send and receive Digital Touch messages
  
  
• Use Siri
  

 

[warburg]

I didn't know that there had been threads on this topic. I can't find others that directly address the question of the Apple Watch. Also, I'm not very technical. Are you saying that I don't need to have wifi and/or Bluetooth turned on on the iPhone to receive mail, notifications, or anything else on the Apple Watch? That's the question I'm asking, not whether there is anything at all that I can do on the watch with the iPhone turned off.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I didn't know that there had been threads on this topic.

You've made multiple threads/posts on your trouble with mail notifications on the Watch.

Are you saying that I don't need to have wifi and/or Bluetooth turned on on the iPhone to receive mail, notifications, or anything else on the Apple Watch? That's the question I'm asking, not whether there is anything at all that I can do on the watch with the iPhone turned off.

What you can do without the paired iPhone once both have been connected to the same network are mentioned in post #2 (taken directly from Apple Watch User Guide). I can't comment specifically on mail because that isn't mentioned and I haven't test it, but perhaps others have tested it and can chime in.

 

[warburg]

You've made multiple threads/posts on your trouble with mail notifications on the Watch

Yes, that's true, but it never before occurred to me that these weren't Watch troubles, but were due to the fact that I didn't have wifi and Bluetooth activated on the phone. I suppose it isn't necessary, but I'm still not certain.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Yes, that's true, but it never before occurred to me that these weren't Watch troubles, but were due to the fact that I didn't have wifi and Bluetooth activated on the phone. I suppose it isn't necessary, but I'm still not certain.

Now you know the Watch doesn't have dedicated wifi but is capable of limited wifi connectivity without the paired iPhone.

 

[warburg]

Now you know the Watch doesn't have dedicated wifi but is capable of limited wifi connectivity without the paired iPhone.

Well, I had a chat session with an Apple technician and she referred to the Apple Watch guide. The answer is YES. You need to have both wifi and Bluetooth on if you want full connectivity with the Watch. I knew there was some connectivity without this:

Your Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate with your paired iPhone, switching between connections as needed:

• Your Apple Watch uses Bluetooth when your iPhone is near, which conserves power.
• If Bluetooth isn’t available, Apple Watch will try to use Wi-Fi. For example, if compatible Wi-Fi is available and your iPhone isn't in Bluetooth range, Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi.

To enjoy every feature on your Apple Watch, you'll need to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your paired iPhone. Swipe up on your iPhone to open Control Center. Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on.

 

[jasie02]

Well, I had a chat session with an Apple technician and she referred to the Apple Watch guide. The answer is YES. You need to have both wifi and Bluetooth on if you want full connectivity with the Watch. I knew there was some connectivity without this:

Your Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate with your paired iPhone, switching between connections as needed:

• Your Apple Watch uses Bluetooth when your iPhone is near, which conserves power.
• If Bluetooth isn’t available, Apple Watch will try to use Wi-Fi. For example, if compatible Wi-Fi is available and your iPhone isn't in Bluetooth range, Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi.

To enjoy every feature on your Apple Watch, you'll need to enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your paired iPhone. Swipe up on your iPhone to open Control Center. Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on.

That is just not true. You do not "need" to turn on wifi on iPhone. If you are within bluetooth distance, you could have wifi permanently turn off on iPhone to enjoy all 100% AW feature, without ever have to turn on wifi on iPhone, and iPhone connect to internet with cellular.
ONLY when you are out of bluetooth distance you need to turn on wifi to extent distant beyond bluetooth.

I have gone days to week without turn on wifi on iPhone, since I have unlimited plan, and still have no issue with AW working correctly, included email/message/all other notification, map, calendar, etc…..

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

That is just not true. You do not "need" to turn on wifi on iPhone. If you are within bluetooth distance, you could have wifi permanently turn off on iPhone to enjoy all 100% AW feature, without ever have to turn on wifi on iPhone, and iPhone connect to internet with cellular.
ONLY when you are out of bluetooth distance you need to turn on wifi to extent distant beyond bluetooth.

I have gone days to week without turn on wifi on iPhone, since I have unlimited plan, and still have no issue with AW working correctly, included email/message/all other notification, map, calendar, etc…..

To add to above, you can have Bluetooth off and still remain connected via wifi as long as you're on the same network. If you have trouble getting this to work (i.e., you get the red disconnection icon as soon as you turn Bluetooth off), then forget the network on iPhone and re-connect to the network while still in Bluetooth range. This will ensure the wifi passcode gets transmitted to the Watch.

 

[warburg]

What can I say? I took the advice of Apple's official guide book, which stated baldly that "you need to enable wiFi and Bluetooth on your paired iPhone" in order to have full access to the watch's features. Since I unpaired and re-paired the Watch with wifi and Bluetooth on, I have been receiving notifications that I was getting only very sporadically before.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

What can I say? I took the advice of Apple's official guide book, which stated baldly that "you need to enable wiFi and Bluetooth on your paired iPhone" in order to have full access to the watch's features.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say you need to enable both in order to have the greatest flexibility/widest access to the watch's features. E.g., it'll still be connected to the iPhone via wifi if it's out of Bluetooth range.