Call with IPhone switched off not working? (Cellular model)

[tormac21]

I have an Apple Watch series 7 with a cellular plan activated on Bell Canada.

If my phone is switched off, the Apple Watch does not make or receive calls - it simply says call failed. Incoming calls go to voicemail.

I thought the watch could independently make and receive calls? It does work if I leave the phone at home and drive out, but apparently the phone needs to be on and connected to the network?

The point of having a cellular model is for when the phone dies - I should still be able to communicate! If the phone has to be on at all times, it’s not at useful.

Am I missing something?

 

[mk313]

That is not how my Apple Watch works. I can make calls even when my phone is off.

 

[tormac21]

Hmm. Maybe it’s a carrier imposed limitation? Does anyone else have a cellular watch that doesn’t make calls with the phone off?

 

[docj67]

I have an Apple Watch series 7 with a cellular plan activated on Bell Canada.

If my phone is switched off, the Apple Watch does not make or receive calls - it simply says call failed. Incoming calls go to voicemail.

I thought the watch could independently make and receive calls? It does work if I leave the phone at home and drive out, but apparently the phone needs to be on and connected to the network?

The point of having a cellular model is for when the phone dies - I should still be able to communicate! If the phone has to be on at all times, it’s not at useful.

Am I missing something?

Hi I have done extensive testing of different usability scenarios with two watches ( one cell one no cell ) and two phones one cell one not and I believe your problem maybe due to "persistence" bugginess. I have learned that if the watch is connected to the phone with blue tooth it will attempt to call through the phone irregardless of whether it has cel unit or not. I have experienced this issue you are having and I fixed it by shutting off the watch blue tooth. Within a few seconds 10-15 it worked. If I want the watch to be call master and the phone is nearby I make sure my phone is in Airplane mode with Blue tooth off. This is basically almost the same as having phone powered off. There is def some management required to make the two work independently. Some features won't work too well if the phone is off the internet; intermittent unreliable SMS/IMESSAGE relay to phone for one.

-js

PS using Watch Series 3 No cell and SE w Cel. Iphone XsMax 10s 14/15 and Iphone 13 mini

 

[tormac21]

Ok I seem to have it working now. I have dual SIMs on my phone and I think the watch was somehow picking the wrong sim. Not sure what i did to fix it but it’s definitely working now