Video: Using Apple Watch without iPhone for 24 hours

Would using an Apple Watch without its paired iPhone get you through the day? Watch our video to see how useful Apple’s warble device is on its own.

  • What’s happening? We’ve turned off our iPhone, relying just on our Apple Watch to get us through the day. Watch the video to learn about the pros and cons.
  • Why care? Because you probably aren’t eager to conduct this experiment yourself just to find out how useful the Apple Watch actually is on its own.
  • What to do? Let us know what you think of our video in the comments.

Using an Apple Watch without its paired iPhone

Our videographer Michael Billig (@michael_billig) wanted to see what he could accomplish in a single day by relying solely on his Apple Watch Ultra.

He went ahead and turned off his iPhone for 24 hours to see what life would be like if you just relied on Apple Watch technology for a single day. “In this video, I cover my experience using just my Apple Watch Ultra for 24 hours,” he says.

In the ten-minute video, you’ll learn about Michael’s strategies when it comes to using an Apple Watch without its paired iPhone nearby. “I show everything I was able to do throughout the day without using my iPhone,” Michael says.

Apps featured in the video:

Checking messages on your wrist and glancing at notifications and weather forecasts on your wrist is one thing. But would you trust your Apple Watch alone to get you through the day? Save yourself from this experiment by watching Michael’s video above, then let us know what you think in the comments.

Using Apple Watch without its paired iPhone nearby

Apple Watch Ultra laid on a table on its side
Apple Watch can do a lot of things on its own | Image: Ricardo Resende/Unsplash

The Apple Watch isn’t a truly standalone device. You still need an iPhone to set it up and configure it fully. Read: Things Apple Watch can do without its paired iPhone

But when it comes to using the Apple Watch features, you can still accomplish a lot if you have network connectivity (or better yet, a cellular-equipped Watch model).

Even without a cellular connection and no Wi-Fi networks nearby, the Apple Watch can still do things like play downloaded music, tell time, set alarms, track your activity and more. Read: How to fix Apple Watch not pinging iPhone