Hey John, great question! The Gear 360 connects through either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, which is a bit different than connecting through a Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi Direct uses the same communication technology as a standard Wi-Fi network, but rather than connecting your phone to a wireless router, it connects directly to the camera. You do still need to be nearby to pair the devices with either of those methods, generally within around 10m. I hope that helps! ^Matthew