How to connect any Apple Watch to Wi-Fi. How to connect Apple Watch to WiFi and what you need to know How apple watch works without bluetooth

Apple Watch cannot be called an independent device, but Apple is gradually trying to reduce the dependence of the watch on the iPhone. Good example This is the ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks. You can manually connect to nearby Wi-Fi networks directly from the watch itself, even if the network is password protected. Below we will talk about how this is done.

Important details:

  • In older versions of watchOS, you can only connect to Wi-Fi networks through your iPhone
  • watchOS 5 lets you connect to Wi-Fi networks from the watch itself
  • You can even connect to password-protected networks
  • Public Wi-Fi networks, such as those in hotels and airports, are not supported
  • Wi-Fi networks that require a subscription or profile are not supported

All Apple models The Watch supports 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, but not the 5GHz standard.

AboutApple WatchAndWiFi

Like previous versions systems, watchOS 5 prioritizes saved networks.

If you previously connected to a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone and your Apple Watch was connected to it via Bluetooth, watchOS 5 will continue to use your login information for that network.

watchOS 5 allows you to manually connect to Wi-Fi networks through the watch itself.

All Wi-Fi networks saved on iPhone will continue to appear on the watch. However, you will be able to use the networks on the Apple Watch itself, and it will not be associated with the iPhone. Below we will talk about how to connect to a Wi-Fi network on Apple Watch.

How to manually connect toWiFi onApple Watch

1) Open the application Settings on your Apple Watch with watchOS 5 or later.

2) Select from the list WiFi.

3) Wait a couple of seconds until the watch finishes searching for available networks nearby, then select any network from the list and close the message screen by pressing OK.

4) If the network is password protected, you will need to enter it using the convenient Scribble function.

5) Click Connect in the upper right corner of the screen to connect to the network, or Cancel to interrupt the process.

As soon as the watch connects to the network, the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center will turn blue.

You can change Wi-Fi network settings at any time by clicking on the corresponding icon in Control Center or through Settings.

How the icon worksWiFi

As in iOS 11, . If you click on the icons in Control Center, the watch will simply disconnect from networks and connected devices, but other aspects of the functionality will continue to work. Among them are AirPlay, Handoff, location services and Instant Hotspot

After you disconnect from Wi-Fi networks in Control Center, Apple Watch won't connect to them again until you do the following:

  • Turn on the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center
  • Move to a new location
  • Wait until 5 am local time
  • Reboot your device

Apple believes that the innovations will make life easier for users, since turning off Wi-Fi will not block AirDrop.

Wristwatches from Apple Every day they gain an increasing number of fans and open up many different functions for their owners.

By purchasing this device, every person should know how to connectApple WatchToWiFi.

What you need to know when purchasing an Apple Watch

Before you start setting up, you need to know some nuances that may affect getting a positive result:

  • The first Apple Watch series on WatchOS 1-4 does not work with the 5 GHz Wi-Fi standard. The only ones possible option, is the frequency of 2.4 GHz. Connection to this network can only occur through pairing with a smartphone;
  • After the release of WatchOS 5, it became possible to connect to wireless networks, without pairing with mobile device;
  • For safety reasons this electronic device does not support unsecured wireless networks.

Connection options

To know, how to connect Apple Watch to Wi-Fi, you need to clarify which version operating system used in the gadget:

  • WatchOS 1-4. In this case, access to the network is possible only when paired with a smartphone. To do this, every iPhone has the Watch app installed.

Set up Apple Watch for 5 GHz Wi-Fi

In order to find out how to connect apple watch toWiFi you need to check the software version.

Watches running WatchOS 1-4 have some limitations and cannot work with 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks.

To configure, you must perform the following steps:

  • disable Apple Watch and configure wireless networks with frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz on the router;
  • Connect your iPhone to a 2.4 GHz network. Turn on the watch and check its pairing with your mobile device and Internet connection. Data transfer from the smartphone to the Apple Watch will occur using Bluetooth;
  • turn off Bluetooth on your smartphone. In this case, both devices will switch to a wireless network with a frequency of 2.4 GHz;
  • after on Apple screen Watch icon will appear indicating that the device is disconnected from the smartphone; you can connect the iPhone to a 5 GHz network. Although these devices will be connected to wireless networks with different frequencies, they will easily find each other even when Bluetooth is turned off.

Apple Watch Series 3 independent mode, i.e. when their “native” iPhone is somewhere nearby, they may connect to the Wi-Fi network extremely strangely or not connect at all. That's why in watchOS 5 Apple implemented manual mode connections...

As you know, until recently if you connected to Wi-Fi via iPhone, then the list they automatically pulled it up from a smartphone.

However, in the smart watch itself this list was not displayed anywhere, and without a smartphone, if there were problems connecting the Apple Watch, just select the desired network There was no way the user could do it manually.

And now it can.

with the new watchOS 5, the list of available WiFi networks can be displayed independently. Accordingly, the user can also tell the watch which one to connect to. And now we will briefly tell you...

how to manually connect to WiFi Apple Watch with watchOS 5
  • go to " Settings » Apple Watch, open the section WiFi (yes, watchOS 5 already has it) and wait a few seconds while the system generates a list of detected networks;
  • then simply tap on the name of the one to which you are going to connect your smart watch;
  • the system will immediately request a password, it should be entered by selecting the letters one by one in the “twist” at the bottom (if the password contains uppercase and lowercase letters, then you need to switch between layouts using ); It’s better not to rush and make sure that the correct letter or symbol is displayed in the password window, otherwise you’ll have to start over;
  • Having figured out the password, we connect to the network (the button in the upper right corner of the screen).

Well, just in case, let us remind you that the Apple Watch’s own WiFi module is activated only when not found within range. In addition, a working WiFi module noticeably “eats” battery power, so such increased autonomy of the Apple Watch is a “slightly” compromise option...

Smart watches "Apple Watch" in close interaction with wireless networks open the door to some interesting functions for owners: here and communication with a voice assistant (in addition to standard questions related to time or weather, Siri even unread messages plays, generates entries in notes and deals with alarms), and synchronizes events in the calendar, and remote control Apple TV.

And one more thing - if the iPhone is dead or is somewhere far away, then the watch will allow you to receive messages and even respond, both with template phrases already prepared in the menu, and by typing text by voice. And, since Wi-Fi is an indispensable assistant that expands the potential of the Apple Watch, why not figure out how to connect your watch to wireless networks?

Additional Information

Before starting the settings, the developers remind you of three important nuances, without which you can’t even dream of a positive result:

  • Both the first and third series of Apple Watch do not support Wi-Fi standard 5GHz. The only current option is 2.4 GHz 802.11. For what reasons such a restriction was introduced is unknown. But, if the router or router does not support the 2.4 GHz standard, then you won’t be able to experiment with the connection;
  • Starting with WatchOS 5, connecting to Wi-Fi is possible without pairing with a smartphone. The required networks are selected directly on the watch, and the password is also entered there (or, more precisely, it is drawn directly on the screen!);
  • And finally, unsecured wireless networks are not officially supported and do not even appear in the selection lists. This restriction was invented for additional security purposes.

Wi-Fi connection options

Setting up wireless networks depends on current version operating system:

WatchOS 1-4

In this case, access to Wi-Fi is only available when pairing with an iPhone. The pair is generated in special application– Watch, which is available by default on every iPhone (otherwise it’s worth downloading the appropriate tool from App Store), in the “My Watch” section. Even a beginner will not be able to get confused in the procedure - visual instructions describes each step in as much detail as possible and helps to achieve the desired result.

If there are no problems with pairing, then the iPhone remains connected to verified (that is, password-protected) wireless networks and Bluetooth. The watch will repeat the actions taken and finally allow you to communicate with Siri and respond to messages.

WatchOS 5

Every operating system update smart watch is aimed at consistently turning the Apple Watch into a gadget independent from smartphones. The unexpected change affected many aspects, including Wi-Fi. From now on, the procedure proceeds as follows.

Open Settings on your watch. Select the Wi-Fi section from the drop-down list. Activate the slider (move from gray to “green” position), and then examine those offered for connecting to the network. It is important to find a password-protected option, preferably on your home or trusted network. Click “Connect” and proceed to enter your password. The developers suggest drawing letters directly on the screen with your finger until you can assemble the complete and correct combination.

Then click “Finish” and check if the setting worked. If so, then the watch will be able to perform the functions listed above and will become an indispensable assistant when the iPhone is not at hand. If problems arise when entering, then the procedure should be repeated, and you should experiment with the input and be sure to check whether the letters are entered correctly, uppercase or uppercase.

And opportunities. But in order to be able to use all the functions, you will have to connect the Apple Watch to the iPhone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi built into the watch. How to do this is described in the article.

Connection via Bluetooth

The easiest way to connect Apple Watch to iPhone is via Bluetooth. This requires that your two devices (Apple Watch and iPhone) be close to each other. This connection option will not take even a few minutes, so today we are talking about another method.

How to connect Apple Watch to iPhone without Bluetooth via Wi-Fi network

This type of connection will be needed when pairing remotely with your iPhone device. In this case, the smart apple watch Watch will try to catch any available network in order to maintain at least some connection.

To create a connection via a Wi-Fi network, you need to:

  • so that the device is already connected to this network;
  • so that the available network matches the Apple Watch network connection conditions.
Photo: iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

What is it for? These conditions are important because this type The watch does not support connection to the 5 GHz network, since in most cases these networks require a profile and subscription. If the watch was able to catch and connect to any Wi-Fi network, a Wi-Fi icon will appear on the device screen and in the settings.