iPhone and Apple Watch pairing tips

[Alistair Ward]

Hi Rene,

I've just bought myself an Apple Watch Series 2 42mm today, I love it!

I understand Apple advise you to leave Bluetooth and wifi on to keep the best connection between both your iPhone and Apple Watch. I just have a few questions in regards to what you REALLY need to do, and what's best for battery, because I can't find the exact information I need on the web.

I know you CAN disable your iPhone's Bluetooth, and the connection will still be there with all the benefits, providing both devices are on the same wifi network. What I want to know is, what happens when you're away from wifi and are using mobile data, will your Watch then need Bluetooth activated on your iPhone in order to still
work?

Also, what does disabling Bluetooth, and relying on wifi only, do for the battery on your Watch and iPhone; I've heard it decreases the life on your Watch but improves it on your iPhone, is this true?

All in all, would you recommend leaving Bluetooth on all the time or is the drain on your iPhone battery simply not worth it? I think I'd rather my Watch battery drain than my iPhone because I rely on my phone more.

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm new to this Watch hahaha and want to get the most out of it!

Thanks!

 

[jimkraz]

Hi, I have had my Apple Watch since the original release, I have kept Bluetooth and wi-fi turned on, on my iPhone and also have Bluetooth in my car for hands free, so would rather just keep all turned on, I am not a heavy user of my phone so get about three days between charges, but watch goes on charge every night as I go to bed.

 

[Rene Ritchie]

I'd recommend leaving both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on all the time. They're relatively interconnected now. BT LE is used to broadcast, handshake, and transmit little bits of data. Wi-Fi is used to transmit larger amounts of data so you can race-to-sleep (more energy efficient).

The only time I'd suggest turning BT or Wi-Fi off is when, for some strange region, there's a problem with the connection and the radios are burning trying to latch onto a signal. Seldom happens with Apple Watch.