iPhone-to-Apple Watch distance for answering calls

If you have a wood frame constructed home, you can get around 50 feet (more or less) on Bluetooth. As mentioned, if both devices can see the home WiFi, then you should still be able to answer the phone on your Apple Watch which does not have its own cellular plan.

And if your cellular provider has WiFi calling, and you enable WiFi calling on the iPhone, and you enable WiFi calling on the Apple Watch, then you can make and answer phone calls anywhere in your home where the Apple Watch can connect to your home WiFi.

As long as both of them are connected to the internet (Cellular or Wi-Fi) no distance limitation exists.

click here ➜ Use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support

That is, if your Phone is on and has service, as long as your GPS watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network it can be 100 miles away and will still work for calls and messages through your iPhone.

KiltedTim wrote:

I believe it has to be connected to the same WiFi network as the phone for that to work, not just any WiFi network.

Don't think so. Apple has no mention of it having to be the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone anywhere. And if it did, it would make the "the your iPhone is not nearby" and "your iPhone is not with you" statements kind of meaningless.

Also, Apple mentions the iPhone can be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular or even be turned off, not that it has to be connected to Wi-Fi for it to work.

If the iPhone is connected to cellular only or turned off, then it has to work with the watch connected to any Wi-Fi network.

Use Apple Watch without its paired iPhone - Apple Support

When Apple Watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can still do the following (even if your iPhone is turned off):

• Make phone calls (make phone calls if you have Wi-Fi calling enabled or want to make a FaceTime audio call and you’re within range of a Wi-Fi network)

I believe it has to be connected to the same WiFi network as the phone for that to work, not just any WiFi network.