Can You Use Apple Watch As a Phone?

Apple Watch can function without an iPhone nearby as long as it has a Wi-Fi or cellular network connection (if it’s the GPS+Cellular model). You can even use your watch to make contactless payments at certain businesses and banks. So, read the complete article to get information on this Can You Use Apple Watch As a Phone?

Cellular Apple Watches get their own phone numbers but rely on the identity of the iPhone they’re set up with to keep apps and other features suitably updated. This does work for kids using a family setup.

Bluetooth:

Apple Watch can work independently of an iPhone for many things, including Bluetooth music streaming (when paired with headphones), alarms and timers, some health apps, and downloaded podcasts and audiobooks. It can also make phone calls and display photos from synced albums. It can use third-party apps with Wi-Fi calling, and it has a built-in speaker for hands-free FaceTime calls on its own, or over an LTE connection if you have a Series 3 model with cellular capabilities and a separate data plan from your carrier.

A cellular-equipped Apple Watch can even download maps and use GPS for navigation, although that requires an iPhone nearby to set up. And with the introduction of watchOS 9, a cellular-capable Apple Watch will automatically switch to the most power-efficient wireless technology available, whether it’s Wi-Fi, a WiFi network, or your carrier’s cellular network. This allows it to keep up with your activities without tethering to a phone or draining its battery.

Wi-Fi:

As long as the Apple Watch is paired to an iPhone and connected to Wi-Fi. It can send and receive text messages and use Siri for basic voice commands. To do this, the Apple Watch must be running iOS 12 or later and have a SIM card in it. Which can only come from an iPhone.

If the Apple Watch isn’t paired to an iPhone. It can still connect to Wi-Fi networks that its paired iPhone has joined. It can’t join new networks or public ones that require a login or subscription.

Some Apple Watch features don’t work without an iPhone, including the ability to track workouts in the Workout app or listen to downloaded podcasts. However, you can still make purchases with Apple Pay and listen to music using the built-in music apps on your device. With a cellular connection (on GPS + Cellular models) and Wi-Fi. You can also access Maps, iMessage, and email.

Cellular:

The cellular Apple Watch isn’t quite ready to replace your iPhone. But it does offer some phone features. With watchOS 4, you can make and receive phone calls using your Apple Watch. Even when it’s not connected to your iPhone. And you can use your watch’s speaker to talk directly with the other person — or stream music via Bluetooth headphones if you prefer.

To do so, you need a cellular Apple Watch Series 4 or later with the latest version of watchOS and an iPhone paired with that watch. Or a non-Apple smartphone with eSIM support (like Spark’s new untethered Apple Watch). You also need a wireless service plan from your carrier.

You can call a contact from the Phone app by tapping their name in Recents or Favorites, or by pressing the digital crown and asking Siri. So, you can also make Wi-Fi calls if your carrier supports them. And you can receive Messages on your Apple Watch if it’s wearing a Series 4 or later model and is paired with your iPhone or an Android phone with eSIM support.

Family Setup:

Family Setup is a way to use the Apple Watch as a phone without the need for an iPhone. It enables kids to make calls and text using the Watch. Follow a schedule and family events in Calendar, and view photos synced from a guardian’s iPhone. Listen to music with Apple Music, and use Maps for navigation. It also lets parents and children manage App Store purchases, turn on communication limits during downtime periods and limit explicit content.

Apple’s Family Setup is primarily geared toward parents who are buying an Apple Watch for their kids. But it can also be used by adults. During the process, you choose an Apple ID for the watch and enable Ask to Buy which requires approval from an iPhone owner for App Store downloads. You can also enable Schooltime. Which locks the Watch to a simple yellow watch face and disables all capabilities except for telling time.

To use Family Setup, your Apple Watch must be running watchOS 7 or later and your iPhone is running iOS 14 or later. You also need an Apple ID for the child or elderly user and a cellular plan through your carrier.