User profile for user: Loadmaster843 
Loadmaster843 Author
User level: Level1 14 points
My wife has an Apple Watch (1) and she uses it at work (Hospital). Since she is in scrubs - carrying the iPhone while working can be difficult. She would like to leave the iPhone in the Call Room and attend to her patients, so, generally, how far away can she be (wearing the Watch) away from the iPhone? Any help would be appreciated.
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Apple Watch
Posted on Oct 17, 2017 1:45 PM
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Jonathan UK 
User level: Level10 163,853 points
Posted on Oct 17, 2017 5:43 PM
Hi
For an Apple Watch Series 1 or Apple Watch (1st generation) model, the full range of features is available when the Apple Watch and iPhone are connected via Bluetooth and the iPhone has access to both cellular service and the Internet (via either cellular data or Wi-Fi).
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 (this will vary in practice due to wireless interference).
Whenever the Apple Watch cannot connect to the iPhone via Bluetooth, it will attempt, as a fallback, to connect to a compatible Wi-Fi network.
A compatible Wi-Fi network is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network that the iPhone has connected to before whilst the Apple Watch was connected to the iPhone via Bluetooth. Apple Watch cannot connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks or to public networks that require logins, subscriptions or profiles.
When connected to Wi-Fi as a fallback, Apple Watch also still offers a number of features, including receiving and sending 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 use Apple Watch to make calls and (subject to carrier support) to send and receive SMS / text messages.
If your Apple Watch is unable to connect either via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it again still offers some - although fewer - features.
Features that are 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:
