Exactly, you need a way to determine where you are first. If you don't have a smartphone you don't have the GPS or the app.
If you don't know your position you can't determine the words you need. All it's useful for is making it somewhat easier for some people to remember words rather than remembering coordinates or grid references. Which is great if you are actually where you planned to be when you looked up the W3W for that location. Not at all useful for determining where you actually are though.
perentie wrote:No. The ap tells you where you are. It must use the GPS in Smart phones.
From what I read even if you have no signal it can tell you where you are and give you the three words on the screen but you must have a signal to phone out. Or if you have a HF radio as I do get in touch that way.
With the Australian Emergency Ap as I understand it you dial 000 , it then asks which service, Fire Ambulance Police etc and the three words of your position are displayed on the screen to read out to the operator.