I'm upgrading from a Series 3. I purchased a Series 4 from Costco and Best Buy. Both will not activate on Verizon. Tried upgrade tips on this forum such as making sure I select remove cellular plan on the watch app and selecting restore. Also tried keeping plan and setting up as new. Unpaired and repaired countless times. The app will always show under the Cellular setting that the Verizon plan is not in use. The watch itself will show no cellular plan. I went to a Verizon corporate store and he couldn't set it up as well. He called support and then told him only watches purchased from Apple or Verizon could be activated. So, it appears if the watch is not in Verizon's database, it's a no go. Does anyone have the number to Verizon support that can help me to add the watch to their database so I can activate cellular?
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Activating on Verizon Apple Watch Series 4
- Thread starter dakota1996
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Tip and the quickest route.
Call Verizon.
Hi today I bought a new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch was bought at wherever.
I currently have an Apple Watch on my account.
I would like to swap my old Apple Watch with the new Apple Watch I purchased today.
Can you help me with swapping the Apple watches
Yes this is what you have to say or you run the risk of them setting it up as a wearable and not an Apple Watch.
You simply cannot say Apple Watch enough.
They will more than likely say you need a new SIM card.
You have to say, Apple watches do not use a SIM card.
They will say they cannot set it up.
They have to add the imei to the authorized device list.
If you cannot get it to work, there are two options call Apple support, explain the situation and they may authorize an exchange at an Apple store. Or you may have to return it.
Call Verizon.
Hi today I bought a new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch was bought at wherever.
I currently have an Apple Watch on my account.
I would like to swap my old Apple Watch with the new Apple Watch I purchased today.
Can you help me with swapping the Apple watches
Yes this is what you have to say or you run the risk of them setting it up as a wearable and not an Apple Watch.
You simply cannot say Apple Watch enough.
They will more than likely say you need a new SIM card.
You have to say, Apple watches do not use a SIM card.
They will say they cannot set it up.
They have to add the imei to the authorized device list.
If you cannot get it to work, there are two options call Apple support, explain the situation and they may authorize an exchange at an Apple store. Or you may have to return it.
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Yeah this is just bizarre. I don’t see how Verizon could turn you away when you want to add it in Apple Watch Series 4 to your plan. They want that sweet sweet $10 a month from you. Someone wasn’t doing their job. Call Verizon and explain the situation and they should help you. I think you just got a total idiot
Verizon store employees work on commission, they’re not there to help their customers they’re there to sell phones and peddle overpriced low quality accessories
A total of 1:40 with Verizon. A portion of it with Tier 2 support. No dice. I have tried 2 series 4 watches and thus far both of them will not connect as a replacement for the 3. Seems like the same issue with the 3 Verizon had. Looks like I'll have to wait a few months until this gets all sorted out by them. Until then it's back to to the trusty 3. Seems to me the only people that have been successful with the 4 are new add a lines. I just don't want to thru the hassle of adding a new line, canceling the old one, calling back to get the $30 activation fee waive. Shouldn't be this difficult.
I had a bear of a time getting mine connected as well, bought it through the Apple online store and upgraded from a Series 3 cellular.
I called from my iPhone, the number I was looking to connect, and that was one of the problems I had. They ultimately added the new one, removed the old one, they immediately waived the $30, and this month my bill went down $5. This was all on the same call if that helps, so it won't take multiple calls, and the changes take place real time, so you can double check that your bill isn't going up while you are on the call.
Not making excuses as this should had been MORE than worked out, but it's still a new technology for them, and it doesn't appear they trained their people well enough for the watch yet. Good luck!
I called from my iPhone, the number I was looking to connect, and that was one of the problems I had. They ultimately added the new one, removed the old one, they immediately waived the $30, and this month my bill went down $5. This was all on the same call if that helps, so it won't take multiple calls, and the changes take place real time, so you can double check that your bill isn't going up while you are on the call.
Not making excuses as this should had been MORE than worked out, but it's still a new technology for them, and it doesn't appear they trained their people well enough for the watch yet. Good luck!
That's very very strange. It shouldn't matter where you bought the watch as they are all the same model in N. America regardless of carrier. I'm on TMO and was surprised how easy it was to move the service from the S3 to the S4. I was so excited when I got the 4, I forgot to check how to move it but it was all intuitive and I just followed the prompts. Unpair S3, keep service. Pair S4, add service. Never had to talk to anyone.
I hope you get it sorted. It definitely shouldn't be that difficult but it seems to be a Verizon issue.
This is definitely a Verizon issue. They had activation issues when the series 3 came out. What bothers me the most is they have no official fix. Others have mentioned the only way for it to activate is to create a new line and cancel the other and have the rep waive the activation fee on the spot. Well if this is the answer why not push it to your reps? I was on the phone 1:40 with them today and no still a no go. Ridiculous. I'm sure there's more of us in the same situation.
SUCCESS!!!! Took about 15 minutes and this included chit chatting about unrelated stuff too!!! So, some additional info for those trying to upgrade from a 3 to 4. Using the replace device option WILL NOT WORK for Verizon. Only way is to have them create a new line and cancel the other. The only people that can do this as painlessly as possible is Telesales. Everyone else they will hand you off to will try to troubleshoot it to death resulting in hours of waste time. Here is there direct line: 800-256-4646. Also don't forget to tell them to waive the $30 activation fee. I believe there might have been another thread created about this with a similar solution. this should be stickied for all the Verizon customers other there as Verizon themselves are clueless right now about this.
I had zero issues in swapping my S3 for a S4 on Verizon. I unpaired the old one AND removed the cellular plan. Then paired the new one and went through the Apple Watch "add cellular" feature. Later on I contacted Verizon to waive the activation fee.
Done.
If you did a straight swap from the 3 to the 4, there shouldn't be a $30 activation fee as you had an existing line. The fact that you had to contact Verizon to waive the activation fee meant that somehow you activated a new line. When you set up the 4 do you select the replace watch box? If not you may have added a second line. I'd check your bill. Unpairing the old one and selecting "remove cellular plan" does not cancel your existing plan with with Verizon. You will have to contact them for this.
No worries. I checked that. The activation fee was actually for my wife’s new watch.
And they waived the $30 for a new activation? I'm surprised. They usually require a pretty decent reason to do so.
They couldn't cancel my old line until the end of the billing cycle, but gave me the $10 credit. Already showing up in my estimated bill.