What can apple watch do on airplane mode?

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Level 1

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What can apple watch do on airplane mode?

I am interested in buying an apple watch.

The only reason I want it is for health data (steps, distance, heart rate, heart signal, sleep data, swimming data etc. etc.) I also love the look of it

However, the only reason I haven't bought one is due to my own issues with the safety of radiation (yes im aware of what the official safety standards, tests, non-ionising etc. state) only because i have previously been quite sensitive to various forms.

I understand that in order to set up an apple watch, you initially need to pair it with an iphone, which i do have but hardly carry on my person.

But my question is, once I've set it up, can I set the apple watch (but not the iphone itself) to airplane mode and still be able able to access all of the health data?

Posted on Nov 19, 2022 2:46 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Richard.Taylor

Level 6

10,326 points

Nov 19, 2022 8:23 AM in response to eakgoz

I just switched my watch to Airplane Mode and did a Blood Ox measurement, a Heart Rate measurement, and an ECG. They all appeared immediately on my iPhone.

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Answer 2

LD150

Level 10

91,299 points

Nov 20, 2022 1:05 AM in response to eakgoz

No, you need to wear a radiation suit or sit in a faraday cage for that. Turning on Airplane mode stops your device from accepting them or emitting them.

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Answer 3

LD150

Level 10

91,299 points

Nov 19, 2022 7:35 AM in response to eakgoz

Turning on Airplane mode will not protect you from incoming radiation which is the majority of the harmless environmental radiation, so there is no point. Outgoing radiation is tiny in comparison.

You can use Watch away from the iphone using gps but you need the paired phone to have readable access to health data.

I encourage you to be assured that environmental radio waves are completely harmless according to all reliable studies.

The concept of going anywhere without my iphone and Watch is alien to me.

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Answer 4

LD150

Level 10

91,299 points

Nov 19, 2022 8:45 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

Thanks for confirming. Airplane mode doesn't turn off Wi-Fi , NFC or Bluetooth fact I sometimes wonder just what it does turn off since airlines started selling wifi services.

The important thing is the experience of using Watch will be miserable if the iphone is put away in a drawer and rarely used due to a fear of radiation.

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Answer 5

eakgoz Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 20, 2022 12:42 AM in response to LD150

thank you very much for your response. Please excuse my ignorance, but can you please clarify what you mean when you say airplane mode will not protect from incoming radiation? my understanding was that the whole idea of turning on airplane mode is to stop any incoming radiation from towers, wifi, other devices etc.??

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