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I have an iPhone SE and an Apple Watch series 2. Just a minute ago my watch got a Skype notification, yet Bluetooth was disabled on my phone.
I thought that the watch had to be connected to the phone to be able to get notifications from apps on the phone. How was my watch able to receive the notification? Did it come over wifi?
Your Apple Watch can use both bluetooth and wifi to communicate with the paired iPhone.
To enjoy every feature on your Apple Watch, you need to turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your paired iPhone. Swipe up on your iPhone to open Control Center. Then make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.
Your Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate with your paired iPhone, switching between connections as needed:
- Your Apple Watch uses Bluetooth when your iPhone is near, which conserves power.
- If Bluetooth isn’t available, your Apple Watch will try to use Wi-Fi. For example, if compatible Wi-Fi is available and your iPhone isn't in Bluetooth range, your Apple Watch uses Wi-Fi.
