Why does Evernote on iWatch need to be connected to an iPhone to sync?

[MrMike 0]

The app would be much more useful without this cumbersome requirement. The main reason I got an iWatch was so I wouldn't need to scramble for my iPhone each time I want to create a note. Sure, I can create a note on the iWatch, but what's the use of it if I can't sync it until later when I have my phone on me? This is especially relevant for those of us with LTE capability on the iWatch, for whom the requirement to have an iPhone nearby defeats the purpose of having LTE. This should be a straightforward fix. Please prioritize it.

[CalS 5,280]

3 hours ago, MrMike said:

The app would be much more useful without this cumbersome requirement. The main reason I got an iWatch was so I wouldn't need to scramble for my iPhone each time I want to create a note. Sure, I can create a note on the iWatch, but what's the use of it if I can't sync it until later when I have my phone on me? This is especially relevant for those of us with LTE capability on the iWatch, for whom the requirement to have an iPhone nearby defeats the purpose of having LTE. This should be a straightforward fix. Please prioritize it.

Can you use Background App Refresh to accomplish this?

[PinkElephant 8,075]

Just tried it - you can grab a new note when not linked to the iPhone, even by speech-to-text transcription.

But it only syncs when it is connected to the iPhone, and EN is open(ed) on the iPhone. The Watch then syncs to the iPhone, the iPhone to the EN server.

If this should be changed, it would make sense to move this to the feature request section, and open a voting on it.

[CalS 5,280]

6 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Just tried it - you can grab a new note when not linked to the iPhone, even by speech-to-text transcription.

But it only syncs when it is connected to the iPhone, and EN is open(ed) on the iPhone. The Watch then syncs to the iPhone, the iPhone to the EN server.

If this should be changed, it would make sense to move this to the feature request section, and open a voting on it.

Background App Refresh made no difference?

[PinkElephant 8,075]

Just tested it.

At least with my setup, a note will only sync from the watch to the  iPhone when EN is active in the foreground on the iPhone. When it was open in the background, it did not sync.

Background refresh is active for EN in settings on the iPhone. There are no app settings for the watch.

[CalS 5,280]

Thanks for checking.

[frogdude 10]

I agree. Updating directly via the Internet is probably the way to go. Untether the iPhone! 

[PinkElephant 8,075]

Yes, would be nice. But I think this may be restricted by watchOS or iOS.

For quick catching of ideas I have the app JustPressRecord on my iOS-devices and on my watch. The advantage is that it can catch an audio and convert it into text, and keep both of them. There it works the same: You can grab on the watch alone, but to Sync it up and share it into other apps, the transfer to the iPhone is needed.

So let us hope that Apple will move ahead with converting the watch into a stand alone device.

[EdH 1,670]

On 6/3/2020 at 11:10 AM, MrMike said:

The app would be much more useful without this cumbersome requirement. The main reason I got an iWatch was so I wouldn't need to scramble for my iPhone each time I want to create a note. Sure, I can create a note on the iWatch, but what's the use of it if I can't sync it until later when I have my phone on me? This is especially relevant for those of us with LTE capability on the iWatch, for whom the requirement to have an iPhone nearby defeats the purpose of having LTE. This should be a straightforward fix. Please prioritize it.

I agree, but I suspect it is the complexity of having a "standalone" version of Evernote on the watch vs a companion app that communicates with the app on the phone, which does most of the heavy lifting and sends/receives the data the watch needs.

[PinkElephant 8,075]

Well, the watch is too weak on processor and memory to host a full version.

But I think if the watch app would be reduced to just quickly taking new small notes, it could work on the watch stand alone. The trick would be to reduce the EN watch app to the bare core of what it should do on the watch, vs. what a full iOS app should do.