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Have iPhone 7 and just received Apple Watch Series one as a gift. I thought the whole point of the watch was so you don't have to carry your phone everywhere. If I am in the gym, how close does my iPhone need to be to the watch in order for it to work? And how can you shut down the volume on your music on the phone but hear it on the watch?
Hi
The full range of features is available when Apple Watch and iPhone are connected. Whenever possible, the devices will connect via Bluetooth, but they can also connect via Wi-Fi if a Bluetooth connection is unavailable.
You don't necessarily need to have your iPhone on or immediately around you (within arm's reach, for example) for the devices to establish and maintain their Bluetooth connection. Normal Bluetooth range is around 33 feet / 10 meters, but this will vary in practice due to wireless interference.
Whenever your watch can't connect to the iPhone, it will attempt, as a fallback, to connect to a known, compatible Wi-Fi network. It then still offers a number of features, including sending and receiving messages via iMessage. If your carrier offers Wi-Fi Calling and it is supported on your plan and enabled on your iPhone, you can also still use Apple Watch to make calls and (subject to carrier support) send and receive texts.
If your watch is unable to connect either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it again still offers some - although fewer - features.
Features that remain available in each case are detailed here:
How to use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support
For the best performance from your iPhone and Apple Watch, including the most power-efficient communication between them, Apple recommends keeping both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi permanently enabled on your iPhone.
More information:
Hi
The full range of features is available when Apple Watch and iPhone are connected. Whenever possible, the devices will connect via Bluetooth, but they can also connect via Wi-Fi if a Bluetooth connection is unavailable.
You don't necessarily need to have your iPhone on or immediately around you (within arm's reach, for example) for the devices to establish and maintain their Bluetooth connection. Normal Bluetooth range is around 33 feet / 10 meters, but this will vary in practice due to wireless interference.
Whenever your watch can't connect to the iPhone, it will attempt, as a fallback, to connect to a known, compatible Wi-Fi network. It then still offers a number of features, including sending and receiving messages via iMessage. If your carrier offers Wi-Fi Calling and it is supported on your plan and enabled on your iPhone, you can also still use Apple Watch to make calls and (subject to carrier support) send and receive texts.
If your watch is unable to connect either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it again still offers some - although fewer - features.
Features that remain available in each case are detailed here:
How to use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby - Apple Support
For the best performance from your iPhone and Apple Watch, including the most power-efficient communication between them, Apple recommends keeping both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi permanently enabled on your iPhone.
More information:
How close does your iphone need to be to the watch in order for it to work?
