How far can Apple Watch be from iPhone for it to function fully? Most people have been wondering about the range of the Apple watch and how far it can reach! Hopefully, this guide is here to answer this question correctly.
The Apple Watch is one of the most popular smartwatches in the world. It was released by Apple in April 2015, and it was designed to integrate seamlessly into the company’s already expanding iOS ecosystem.
The Apple Watch provides support for a range of different apps and works just as well with any iPhone. Currently, the Apple Watch is in its sixth generation, and prices have steadily gone up.
But, along with the prices, the company has also introduced a range of new features into their devices. But, if you are going to get an Apple Watch, you might want to know just how far you can keep the Apple Watch from your iPhone while it still remains connected.
This is an important question for many people, especially those who like to wear the Apple Watch while they are going out for their morning activity or their gym routine.
Can you leave your iPhone in the bag or in the locker, or do you have to strap the iPhone to your arm or keep it in your pocket? Or, when you are in the office, do you have to carry your phone all around with you, or can you afford to leave it in the drawer?
How Far Can Apple Watch Be From iPhone?
Your Apple Watch needs to be approximately 330 feet or 100 meters from your iPhone if you want all of your Apple Watch features to function or work fully. This range can be more or less depending on different situations.
The Apple Watch connects to your iPhone using Bluetooth 4.0 technology. The Watch does not have Wi-Fi built-in, so it only uses the Wi-Fi from your iPhone to send and receive updates.
On its own, the watch is able to store fitness data, play any music that you have stored on your phone, and also make purchases with the help of Apple Pay.
There’s also a fantastic feature known as Handoffs, which allows you to start a message on your Apple Watch, and then complete it halfway on your iPhone if you want.
To use the apps, you are going to need a connected iPhone, since all of the processing is handled by the device itself. But, if the Apple Watch connects directly with the iPhone using Bluetooth 4.0, the question is:
What Is the Range of Bluetooth 4.0?
The distance of devices that are connected using Bluetooth 4.0 is around 330 feet, or roughly 100 meters. In some cases, when interference is low, this can be a bit higher.
However, you should know that it can also vary to be less. Bluetooth makes use of radio waves that exist between 2.4 GHz and 2.485 GHz in the ISM band.
Simply put, what this means is that these signals can be interrupted by Wi-Fi, the presence of satellite dishes, external monitors, microwaves, electronic items, and other things.
So, in general, how close do you have to keep your iPhone and your Apple Watch to ensure a seamless connection? Ideally, it should be under 330 feet. So, you might want to take this into account when you decide to separate your Apple Watch from your iPhone.
How to Use Your Apple Watch with a Wi-Fi Connection
As mentioned above, the Apple Watch does not have its own integrated Wi-Fi sensor. Instead, it makes use of your iPhone’s Wi-Fi to remain connected.
So, if you want to use your Apple Watch with a Wi-Fi connection, the important thing to keep in mind is that your phone should always be connected.
When your iPhone loses the connection to Wi-Fi, the Apple Watch will lose its connection as well. However, there is a simple way to make sure that your iPhone remains connected to the Wi-Fi network.
If the watch loses connection, there’s also a standard way to fix it. To fix it, you need to do the following:
- You have to first turn off your Apple Watch.
- Then, you need to take out your phone and disconnect both the 2.4 GHz and the 5 GHz networks. You will also have to “forget” both of those networks.
- Finally, turn off the Bluetooth on your iPhone so that the connection between your watch and the iPhone is removed.
- Then, you need to connect to the 2.4 GHz on your device and re-enable Bluetooth.
- Once you are done, you should turn on your Apple Watch.
When you turn it on, your Apple Watch will automatically connect to the 2.4 GHz network. You can test if you are connected. Just disable Bluetooth again and then try making a call or sending an iMessage.
If you are able to make a call or send an iMessage through your device, you are connected. Then, you can just disconnect from the 2.4 GHz network and connect to the 5 GHz one without any issue.
You can test it by disabling the Bluetooth again, connecting your iPhone with the 5 GHz network, and then trying to make a call or sending a message again. If it goes through, you are in the clear!
How to Use an Apple Watch Without Wi-Fi, Cellular, or an iPhone Nearby
You should know that the Apple Watch is not completely useless without the iPhone nearby. Once you have set up the watch with the iPhone, you should know that it’s possible to use the device without an iPhone nearby.
If you don’t have an iPhone nearby, that means you won’t be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular either. In that case, your usage functionality will be severely limited, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to use the watch at all. In fact, you will have access to a host of options, such as:
- Playback of downloaded audio content
- You can use Apple Pay for payments
- You can also view photos or videos that have been synced from your phone
- All of the health and fitness tracking features of the device are going to work smoothly because they are in-built.
But, you should know that the company has created the Apple Watch to work in tandem with the iPhone, so the functionality is going to be significantly reduced. After all, you don’t buy the Apple Watch just to use it as a conventional fitness tracker.
Currently, the Apple Watch is heavily dependent on the iPhone to utilize all of the features that are built into the device. But, the company has been looking at ways to create a more independent future where the Apple Watch will be able to do more things by itself.
But, you should know that it’s still going to take a bit of time for the company to build cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity into the Apple Watch itself. One of the key constraints in this regard is the size and form factor.
The reason why so many people love the Apple Watch is because it is well-designed, and it’s also not heavy. If the company were to add more sensors into the Watch, it would increase the size, and that may affect the functionality and even the comfort.
So, it remains to be seen just how the company is going to change things up and what new features they are going to add with the passage of time. These are just a few things that you should know about the functionality of your Apple Watch without an iPhone nearby.
