The Apple watch is a device that can be used for many different tasks. It has an elegant design and it’s also very easy to use. However, with most devices you need to pair it with your phone in order to fully utilize its features. But what if I told you that there are some functionalities of the Apple watch which don’t require pairing?
Read on!
In this article, we have gathered everything you can do without an iPhone being paired. Before we begin, make sure you have already paired your Apple Watch with an iPhone once in the past. The more apps you add to your iPhone to sync it, the more you will be able to do with your Apple Watch.
Play Music from Your Synced Playlist
I generally go for a run and leave my iPhone at home. I prefer to listen to music playlists synched to my Apple watch via AirPods, which is entirely possible without having my phone with me.
An Apple Watch can work with any Bluetooth-enabled headphones to stream music from Spotify or any other streaming music service without the need for an iPhone. To do this, go to the Music app on your iPhone, then select your Apple Watch as the music source from the list. After that, select Now Playing, My Music, or Playlists.
The coolest part is that your playlist remains on your Apple Watch if you have already synced it. However, to sync a playlist, you still need an iPhone. To do this, open the Watch app > Music > Synced Playlist. From here, select the playlist you wish to sync.
If you are a Premium Spotify user, then you can download your playlist to your Apple Watch for offline listening. That means that you can listen to your favorite tracks at any time without an iPhone. You still can control your music playback using your Apple Watch.
Enable the Alarm
One of the basic things you can do with your Apple Watch without an iPhone is the ability to use the alarm, timer, and stopwatch. To activate the Alarm, press and hold the Digital Crown button to trigger Siri. From here, say something like “Set an alarm for 7 a.m” and Siri will confirm your action.
To stop an alarm when it goes off, simply tap on the appropriate button (make sure you have turned on this option in the alarm’s settings).
Track Your Physical Activity
One of the best features when it comes to Apple Watch lies in its ability to track your physical movement. In fact, your wearable can display your up-to-date activity stats even without the need for an iPhone. You can use the Activity app to keep track of your daily movement and goals. The app also allows you to monitor your calories burned and get access to daily goal suggestions. All of these things can be done on your Watch without an iPhone.
You can use the Workout apps to keep track of your athletic capabilities. The app also suggests daily workout sessions and shows real-time stats such as calories, pace, speed, and much more. This is a handy set of features for those who do not want to stay connected to their iPhone at any time.
Monitor Your Heartbeat
Your Apple Watch has a built-in heart rate monitor that allows you to measure your heart rate throughout the day and when you are working out. In fact, an Apple Watch features an optical heart sensor to detect how much blood is flowing through your wrist at a given time of the day. This means you can see your heart rate information at any time right on your wrist without the need for an iPhone nearby.
To track your heart rate, press and hold the Digital Crown button on your Watch and then open the Heart Rate app. From here, you should see your most recent heart rate reading. Use the Digital Crown button to scroll through heart rate values like heart rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate while walking.
Display Photos
If you have already synced your iPhone photos to Apple Watch, then you can access to your Favorites directly on your Watch without an iPhone. You can add up to 50 photos to your Watch and set one of them as your watch face background, which is pretty cool.
Connect to Wi-Fi Networks
Your Apple Watch can connect to select Wi-Fi networks if you used Wi-Fi with your watch and paired iPhone in the past. That network should be accessible on your Watch the next time you try to connect to it.
If your Watch is connected to a network, you can enjoy some online features like Siri, send and receive messages, and make and receive phone calls.
Use Apple Pay
Apple Pay is a wireless payment service that was first introduced back in 2014. It allows users to make payments using their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. If you already set up Apple Watch to use with Apple Pay, then you can use your wearable to make purchases at supported retailers without the need for authentication on iPhone.
To do this, simply hold up your watch to a supported machine. From here, you should see all of your important information including gift cards, passwords, and more. The best part is that you don’t need to use your iPhone to authenticate your purchases.
Photo by Luke Chesser on Unsplash
