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Cellular question

nospleen

nospleen

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Dec 8, 2002
2,731
1,607
Texas
Does your iPhone have to be powered on to make calls from an Apple Watch cellular? (activated with Verizon)

In a frustrating text convo with Verizon and they haven’t been much help.

If I power off my phone and try and make a call from the watch, I get a call failed error.
 
I’ve had that happen as well..on T-Mobile..when i power off the phone but if i leave my phone at home and goto the store i can use the watch to make calls. You would think the watch just seems the phone as off when not in range.
 
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paul.p said:
I’ve had that happen as well..on T-Mobile..when i power off the phone but if i leave my phone at home and goto the store i can use the watch to make calls. You would think the watch just seems the phone as off when not in range.
Click to expand...

And I assume when you leave at home, the phone is still powered on?
 
nospleen said:
And I assume when you leave at home, the phone is still powered on?
Click to expand...
Yes when left at home it was on..still find it weird it needs to be on when the watch supposedly has its own cellular service..owell just leave the phone on i guess. I’ll occasionally take the dogs for a walk or make quick trips to the store and leave the phone behind..
 
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You’re using your phone’s cellular number right?

I think some carriers offer a plan with a dedicated Watch number. I wonder if they still have that challenge.
 
On mine I can turn off my phone. AT&T. It’s text messages that I need the phone to be on and connected to the internet (which is an Apple and SMS limitation, texts go to the phone only and get sent through iCloud to other devices). In addition, you can do the same with WiFi calling devices (iPad or Mac).

Only thing to try is to remove cellular and re-add it to see if it fixes the issue. If not it’s just a limitation of the system.

Also I feel your pain about customer service. I called AT&T customer service about my Watch service, it was able to get phone calls but it didn’t sync with the iPhone phone number. It caused problems, the people at customer service didn’t know much about cellular watch service either.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
The phone needs to be on.
Click to expand...
Not with AT&T. iPhone could be at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Apple Watch with cellular will function the same.

www.att.com

NumberSync - Call From Any Device | AT&T

NumberSync links your wireless phone number with tablets, smartwatches & smart speakers. So you can make calls from your iPad, Apple Watch, or Alexa device.
www.att.com

AT&T NumberSync for Wearables: Requires smartphone on AT&T postpaid wireless account and set up for HD voice, and compatible wearable on eligible wireless plan. When calling from outside the AT&T-owned and operated domestic coverage area, the wearable number rather than smartphone number is shown in caller ID. Device Limits: Sync up to 5 wearables. Device selection limited. Voice Charges: Calls to international numbers using AT&T NumberSync are subject to international rates under your wearable's rate plan or international package. See att.com/international for information on pay-per-use rates and available packages for international calls from the U.S. and for roaming when traveling abroad. Data Charges: SMS and MMS messages sent and received through your wearable using AT&T NumberSync count as data, and data usage rates under your wearable's rate plan apply. MMS messages (group, picture, or video messages) cannot be sent or received via AT&T NumberSync to or from numbers outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 911 Calls: 911 calls are not supported outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additional restrictions: Not compatible with Ringback Tones, Unified Messaging, OfficeDirect, or OfficeReach.
Click to expand...
 
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Howard2k said:
You’re using your phone’s cellular number right?

I think some carriers offer a plan with a dedicated Watch number. I wonder if they still have that challenge.
Click to expand...

Verizon shows a dedicated number, but it then says paired with and gives my actual cell number.

jaytv111 said:
On mine I can turn off my phone. AT&T. It’s text messages that I need the phone to be on and connected to the internet (which is an Apple and SMS limitation, texts go to the phone only and get sent through iCloud to other devices). In addition, you can do the same with WiFi calling devices (iPad or Mac).

Only thing to try is to remove cellular and re-add it to see if it fixes the issue. If not it’s just a limitation of the system.

Also I feel your pain about customer service. I called AT&T customer service about my Watch service, it was able to get phone calls but it didn’t sync with the iPhone phone number. It caused problems, the people at customer service didn’t know much about cellular watch service either.
Click to expand...

I decided to reset my Apple Watch and chose the keep plan option during the erase. After repairing, I can now turn my phone off and make calls. Maybe it just did not activate/provision correctly initially I presume?

Thanks everyone for the feedback!
 
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nospleen said:
Does your iPhone have to be powered on to make calls from an Apple Watch cellular? (activated with Verizon)

In a frustrating text convo with Verizon and they haven’t been much help.

If I power off my phone and try and make a call from the watch, I get a call failed error.
Click to expand...
No. The watch communicates and relies on a connection to the iPhone. If the watch has Cellular chip subscribed, even if you’re not with the phone, the watch will ring if someone calls you.
Technically speaking the watch’s internal SIM chip is issued a unique phone number which your iPhone will automagically ring when not near you if a call comes inbound.
 
yeah it makes it hard for the watch to be a backup source if your phone dies. I still question myself every day why I pay 10-$12 for this service on my phone.
 
Howard2k said:
You’re using your phone’s cellular number right?

I think some carriers offer a plan with a dedicated Watch number. I wonder if they still have that challenge.
Click to expand...
Plan i have actually has its own number but iPhone still has to be on..gonna play around with it more when i get a chance..
 
My iPhone XS was pinin’ for the fjords after I idiotically ran it through the washing machine. Not just mostly dead, but dead dead. Took a week or so to get a replacement phone. The whole time my Ultra worked just swimmingly, including as a telephone on T-Mobile, with two exceptions.

First, though iMessage was just fine, SMS didn’t work at all.

And, there are a few apps that only work as front-ends to the phone and require that it be nearby in order to work; the worst of these is the 2FA app for the university’s network. But the 2FA system will also call your phone if you ask it to, and that worked just fine (annoying as it was).

b&
 
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FireFish said:
No. The watch communicates and relies on a connection to the iPhone. If the watch has Cellular chip subscribed, even if you’re not with the phone, the watch will ring if someone calls you.
Technically speaking the watch’s internal SIM chip is issued a unique phone number which your iPhone will automagically ring when not near you if a call comes inbound.
Click to expand...

With AT&T, for inbound/outbound calls, the cellular Apple Watch doesn't rely on a connection to the iPhone. The call routing to your watch happens in the network.

eclipse01 said:
Same (AT&T)
Click to expand...
Might want to troubleshoot this more with your watch. iPhone not required to be on/working for watch to work for calls.
 
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Just tried it again after restarting both..had to restart iPhone for something else and figured I’d try to test it while phone was off and it worked this time with the phone off. Made calls text and used Apple Maps. After i turned the phone on it showed the calls i made in the log on the phone.
 
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I am on T-Mobile in the U.S. My cellular watches (S7 and S8) work work fine on cellular although I've only texted others that also have iPhones. As someone else said it probably won't work with the "green bubble" users. On the watch I turn off wifi and bluetooth. At that point it doesn't matter if my iPhone is on or off.
 
BeatCrazy said:
With AT&T, for inbound/outbound calls, the cellular Apple Watch doesn't rely on a connection to the iPhone. The call routing to your watch happens in the network.


Might want to troubleshoot this more with your watch. iPhone not required to be on/working for watch to work for calls.
Click to expand...

if its iphone to iphone it will allow you to but not to android without your phone on.
 
eclipse01 said:
ok...i have tried this many times when my phone has died and texting usually fails. (when i text an android phone)
Click to expand...
Then you should call AT&T to troubleshoot. This is an inherent network functionality. AT&T calls it NumberSync.
 
Jackbequickly said:
Hard to believe that your phone being on is required to use an Apple Watch on cellular. I would turn my iPhone off on att and leave it home and my cellular worked perfectly.
Click to expand...
Miscommunication:
The post was saying that the watch merely requires a pairing to an iPhone, and that a watch cannot be paired with an iPad instead of an iPhone.
 
BeatCrazy said:
With AT&T, for inbound/outbound calls, the cellular Apple Watch doesn't rely on a connection to the iPhone. The call routing to your watch happens in the network.


Might want to troubleshoot this more with your watch. iPhone not required to be on/working for watch to work for calls.
Click to expand...
Correct. I was simply stating that an iPad owner cannot buy an Apple Watch and pair it with an iPad.
 
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