Apple added a very useful new feature to the Apple Watch in 2018 that didn’t get as much attention as it should have. This was a new way to talk and was available on all Apple Watches, from the Series 1 to the Apple Watch Ultra. It was the Walkie-Talkie feature that is always on and lets you start a voice conversation right away with anyone who also has an Apple Watch. It works even on Wi-Fi-only models when you’re out and about, as long as you have your iPhone with you. You don’t need a cell connection.
Like the walkie-talkie phones of the early 2000s, this app is a great way to talk to people across your house or across the country without having to wait for your call to be answered.
Of course, you don’t always want your spouse, friend, or child to talk to you through your wrist. Don’t worry, though; Apple also thought of that. Let’s find out how the walkie-talkie feature works on Apple Watch and all you should know.
Apple Watch Walkie-Talkies: What You Need to Know
As the name suggests, Walkie-Talkie is a feature of the Apple Watch that lets people talk to each other through sound. It’s too bad that it’s not yet available on iOS. Either way, here’s how to set up this feature if you’re now interested.
It’s important to know that you don’t have to be using the Walkie-Talkie app to get messages from other people. Your Apple Watch will start playing the audio right away on its own. So, if you need to be completely quiet, you can turn Walkie-Talkie on or off through the Control Center shortcut or by opening the app and turning off the first option. When you were in an app, you could also change the volume by turning the Digital Crown.
Notably, you can’t use Walkie-Talkie in places where FaceTime is banned or blocked. FaceTime Audio servers are used to send and receive spoken messages through this feature.
What is the Apple Watch’s Walkie-Talkie feature?
Apple says that Walkie-Talkie makes it easy to connect with an Apple Watch that works with it. It works like any other walkie-talkie, so you press a button to talk and let go when you want your message to be sent. The feature has a lot of requirements. For starters, your watch needs to have WatchOS 5.3 or later, and your iPhone needs to have iOS 12.4 or later. Make sure the FaceTime app is installed on your iPhone and that you are in an area where Walkie-Talkie works.
How to Use the Built-in Walkie-Talkie on Your Apple Watch
Let’s look at how to set up and use the Walkie Talkie app on the Apple Watch to stay in touch with people who are important to you.
Requirements
You need at least one contact with an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later (with FaceTime turned on) and an Apple Watch running WatchOS 5.3 or later.
Well, at this point, both the iPhone and the Apple watch are several years old. The iPhone has iOS 17 and the Apple watch has Watch OS 10. The first connection should take about a minute to set up, and the rest should be almost instant.
#1. Open the app and add your first contact
First, tap the Digital Crown to open the App List on your Apple Watch. Find the Walkie-Talkie app and tap it. If you’ve never used the app before, you’ll need to add your first contact before you can connect with them.
To do this, tap Add Friends. When you do that, you’ll see a list of all the people you know. Tap on one to invite them. You can move on to the next step once they agree.
#2. Get in touch with your person
Once your contact accepts your invitation, you’ll be able to see them on your list of friends. From there, all you have to do to talk to them is tap on them.
If you were already connected with another contact or if it’s been a while since you last talked to this person, the Walkie-Talkie app might take a few seconds to check if they are available.
If they are available, you will be able to connect to them and move on to the next step.
#3. Start talking
Once you’re connected to your contact, all you have to do is press and hold the Touch & Hold to Talk button and start talking. After a short chirp, your voice will be sent to their Apple Watch. When you let go of the button, another tone will sound to let the other person know it’s their turn to talk.
If you have trouble moving around or would rather turn your connection on and off with a single tap, you can turn on this mode by going to the Settings app on your Apple watch and turning on Tap to Talk under the Walkie-Talkie section. With this mode turned on, one tap will open the mic and a second will close it.
#4. Exit the Walkie-Talkie app
By pressing the Digital Crown, you can leave the app and go back to the watch face on your Apple Watch. If you do this, the app will keep running in the background, so any of your Walkie-Talkie app friends can talk to you at any time.
How to Set up the Walkie-Talkie Feature and Use It
- Step 1: Go to the app menu and open the Walkie-Talkie app.
- Step 2: Click on “Add friends.” When you’re done, your list of contacts will appear.
- Step 3: Choose a contact to whom you want to send an invite. The contact is gray until they accept the invite. When you accept a contact, it turns yellow and shows up on your list of friends.
- Step 4: Choose the person to whom you want to send a message. The app checks to see if the contact is available, and then a big yellow button with the words “Touch and hold to talk” appears.
- Step 5: Press and hold the button to record your message. Let go of the button to send it.
- Step 6: Move the Digital crown in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to turn the volume up or down.
How to Trigger Walkie-Talkie With a Tap
Some people find it hard to talk when they have to tap and hold to do so. If it’s hard to hold down the button, you can use the Walkie-Talkie with a single tap on the Apple Watch. Follow these steps to make it happen.
- Step 1: Open your Apple Watch’s settings app.
- Step 2: Then, tap Accessibility
- Step 3: Find the Walkie-Talkie tab and switch “Tap to talk” on.
- Step 4: Once it’s turned on, you can tap once to talk and tap again to stop.
You can also turn on the feature with your iPhone. Go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My watch > Accessibility, then turn on Tap to talk below the Walkie-Talkie category.
How to Turn off the App or Stop Being Reachable
Not interested in using the Walkie-Talkie app or just need a break? There are a lot of ways to turn off the Walkie-Talkie app or stop being reachable.
- Method 1: The first step is to open the Walkie-Talkie app. To turn off the Walkie-Talkie, press and hold the button. The indicator will go from yellow to gray once it is turned off.
- Method 2: To open the Control center, swipe up from the bottom of your Apple Watch. Here is where you’ll find the Walkie-Talkie icon. If it’s turned on, it will be yellow. Choose it to turn off the app.
- Method 3: When you turn on Theater Mode, Walkie-Talkie is automatically turned off. To turn it on, open the Control Center on your Apple Watch and tap on the icon that looks like two masks. This is the Tragedy and Comedy icon.
How to Take People off the Walkie-Talkie App
Follow these steps to get rid of people you don’t want to talk to.
- Step 1: Open the Walkie-Talkie app to see your list of friends.
- Step 2: Swipe from right to left to get rid of the contact you want to get rid of.
- Step 3: The screen will show a red X. If you tap it, the contact will be removed from the app.
What should I do if I can’t find the Walkie-Talkie app or if I can’t send or receive invitations?
The Walkie-Talkie app can be removed from your Apple Watch. If you think you might have done this before, you just need to download it again from the App Store on your Apple Watch.
On the other hand, FaceTime on your iPhone is often the cause of problems with the Walkie-Talkie app itself. Walkie-Talkie uses the same platform as FaceTime, so you and your contact will both need to have FaceTime installed and turned on.
So, if you have any trouble, make sure you both have FaceTime turned on and that you’re both signed in to FaceTime on your iPhones. After you’ve done this, turn off your Apple Watch and iPhone and turn them back on. This should solve the vast majority of connection and chat problems.
How do I get rid of a Friend from the Walkie-Talkie app?
If there is someone on your Friends list that you no longer want, all you have to do is find their name and swipe left on it. This will make a red X appear. Tap the X to get rid of it. If you want to talk to them again from the Walkie-Talkie app, you’ll need to invite them again.
Note: This won't take this person off your iPhone's list of contacts.
Can Walkie-Talkie be used without an iPhone?
Yes, you can use Walkie-Talkie without your iPhone if you have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. But if you want to invite someone to Walkie-Talkie, both your iPhone and Apple Watch must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular and your iPhone must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.
Can you talk with someone who isn’t in your contacts list?
No. Walkie-Talkie only works with people in your contacts list. You must first add the person you want to talk to to your list of contacts.
Can more than one person use a walkie-talkie at the same time?
No. Walkie-Talkie is a way for two people to talk to each other. One person at a time is all you can talk to.
Can you talk on a Walkie-Talkie while you’re on the phone?
No. You can’t use a Walkie-Talkie while talking on the phone. You can’t use it at the same time as another audio app, either. But you will get Walkie-Talkie notifications while on a phone call or using another audio app, and you can answer the notification when you’re ready.
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