How far does Apple Watch range?

This article explains the operating range of your Apple Watch, how far apart your Apple Watch and iPhone can be and still work, what you can do with your Apple Watch not connected to your iPhone, and related topics.

Although this article primarily addresses recent Apple Watch models, the ideas and concepts discussed here generally apply to most modern watch models.

Does Apple Watch work when the phone is far away?

Apple Watch is useful in many different situations, but it works best when paired or connected to an iPhone and within a specific range. In that situation, Apple Watch and iPhone can communicate and exchange data, such as notifications, music, health data, etc.

The question is: How far apart can the Apple Watch and iPhone be?

How far does Apple Watch range? Picture 1

The answer depends on how the Watch and iPhone are connected. The two devices connect via Bluetooth, a short-range wireless technology. The most recent Apple Watch models use Bluetooth 4.0, with a maximum connection range of 100 meters/330 feet.

The maximum connection distance supported by Bluetooth 4.0 is not always that long in real-world use. In many cases, the maximum length will be reduced due to environmental circumstances - mainly walls and floors as well as the amount of wireless signals in any given area.

What happens when Apple Watch is out of Bluetooth range?

What happens if the Apple Watch and iPhone are so far apart that they can't connect to each other? That's where WiFi comes in.

If the Watch and iPhone can't connect via Bluetooth, they'll fall back to trying to connect via the built-in WiFi chip.

In that case, if the iPhone is connected to a 2.4 GHz WiFi network (Watch is not compatible with 5GHz WiFi networks), the Watch will try to communicate with it over WiFi. That means the supported distance between devices, in that case, is anywhere that WiFi can reach. While that distance isn't necessarily much farther than with Bluetooth, it does mean the Watch and iPhone can communicate with each other when they're in the same building, for example.

Note: Apple Watch relies heavily on Bluetooth because Bluetooth uses less power than WiFi. So while the Apple Watch can use WiFi to communicate with the iPhone, it will fall back to Bluetooth as often as possible to save battery.

Can you use Apple Watch without a phone?

Even if the Apple Watch and iPhone are so far apart that they're out of range of both Bluetooth and WiFi, there are still ways to use the Apple Watch without the iPhone. Some things you can do with your Apple Watch without an iPhone include:

1. Track activity and workouts.
2. Listen to music and podcasts synced with Watch.
3. Change watch faces.
4. Record voice memos on Watch.
5. Check calendar.
6. Buy with Apple Pay.
7. Use timers, alarms, and stopwatches.

Unlimited range: Apple Watch has cellular connectivity

The exception to everything in this article are the Apple Watch Cellular models. These models are not limited to connecting via Bluetooth (or as a backup, WiFi). These models access the Internet via the 4G LTE mobile network just like smartphones.

That means these Apple Watches can perform tasks and make connections anywhere there's a 4G LTE network.

If you have an Apple Watch with Cellular functionality, things you can do without connecting to your iPhone include:

1. Call.
2. Send text messages.
3. Stream music.
4. Get notifications.

Jessica Tanner

Update 02 January 2024