iOS 15 / WatchOS 8 – Cellular plan must be activated on iPhone

[Noisequik]

Hi!
Since iOS 15 / Watch OS 8, the cellular plan must be activated and running on the iPhone.
When I disable the plan on the iPhone, it disappears immediately from the Watch!

I'm using different plans on the iPhone and on the Watch so it's a big issue for me…

 

[Wags]

Hi!
Since iOS 15 / Watch OS 8, the cellular plan must be activated and running on the iPhone.
When I disable the plan on the iPhone, it disappears immediately from the Watch!

I'm using different plans on the iPhone and on the Watch so it's a big issue for me…

This still true? If you have cellular watch you must have it active? Can’t use just with gps?

 

[Noisequik]

This still true? If you have cellular watch you must have it active? Can’t use just with gps?

Hi! The plan must be activated on iPhone to run on the Watch.
Of course you can disable it on both.

 

[Saturn007]

BUMP!

I'm interested in clarification on this. I'm tempted by a GPS + Cellular to gain emergency calling, but do not want to activate cellular Watch service. Plus, my carrier does not have a Watch plan.

I thought that was possible — to get a cellular watch to make emergency calls WITHOUT activation of any Watch cell plan…

Is that not right?!

 

[JBinPDX]

I'm interested in clarification on this. I'm tempted by a GPS + Cellular to gain emergency calling, but do not want to activate cellular Watch service. Plus, my carrier does not have a Watch plan.

"To use Emergency SOS on an Apple Watch that doesn't have cellular, your iPhone needs to be nearby. If your iPhone isn't nearby, your Apple Watch needs to be connected to a known Wi-Fi network and you must set up Wi-Fi Calling."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206983

 

[Saturn007]

JB, I was asking about a different situation — a Watch WITH cellular, but no cell plan. I must not have asked it clearly enough.

If you fall, a Watch WITH cellular is supposed to make emergency calls EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CELL PLAN ACTIVATED FOR THE WATCH. At least that's what has been repeatedly stated on MacRumors.

For example

If you have a watch with cellular capability, it can make an emergency 911 call even if you have not set up a cellular plan. I believe this is required by law, as cell phones are also capable of making emergency calls even if they are not activated. There is anecdotal evidence that the call takes longer to connect without a plan (saw on reddit, but the post was from when the Series 3 launched a few years ago). But, it can still dial emergency services without a plan.

Limited Options

This is not true. If you have a watch with cellular capability, it can make an emergency 911 call even if you have not set up a cellular plan. I believe this is required by law, as cell phones are also capable of making emergency calls even if they are not activated. There is anecdotal evidence...

forums.macrumors.com

Various sources have confirmed that LTE models can call 911 without a plan

GPS or Cellular?

Most users on here save money going GPS? Or is cellular the new popular option?

forums.macrumors.com

See also

”How to call 911 from the Apple Watch, without a cell plan”

How to call 911 from the Apple Watch, without a cell plan

The Apple Watch 3, 4 and 5 with GPS and an antenna can place an emergency call, in most cases.

www.gearbrain.com

The post earlier suggested that's no longer the case under Watch OS8. That you had to activate a “plan”!

That's the question. Do you?

 

[deeddawg]

The post earlier suggested that's no longer the case under Watch OS8. That you had to activate a “plan”!

That's the question. Do you?

I suspect you've misunderstood something.

JBinPDX is referring to GPS-only Apple watch models without cellular hardware.

Others are referring to needing to establish cellular service via the Watch app on the phone if one wishes to have a service plan. There's of course no need to do so if one doesn't want to. Nor would that have any bearing on a cellular Apple watch being able to call emergency services without active service plan.

FYI:

WatchOS8 supports connecting to emergency services without having cellular service per Apple Support:

Apple Watch User Guide

Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple Watch and discover all the amazing things it can do.

support.apple.com

In some parts of the world perhaps carriers may not take such connections, but in the US all carriers are required to do so per FCC rules.

Wireless 911 Service

The FCC is working to ensure that wireless 911 calls are transmitted with increasingly precise location information so that first responders can quickly find and assist those in need.

www.fcc.gov

If you are not in the US, check your local regulations. Seems it's supposed to work in most nations though:

watchOS - Feature Availability

watchOS has so many features that make Apple Watch the ultimate device for a healthy life. See which ones are available in your region or language.

www.apple.com

 

[Deifie]

Hi!
Since iOS 15 / Watch OS 8, the cellular plan must be activated and running on the iPhone.
When I disable the plan on the iPhone, it disappears immediately from the Watch!

I'm using different plans on the iPhone and on the Watch so it's a big issue for me…

What in detail has been changed? I setup the cellular option on my Series 7 last week and all of it was the same as with older watches...

 

[Saturn007]

The plot thickens! If you read back through the thread, you'll see I was asking about emergency calling with a GPS + Cellular Watch but WITHOUT a cell plan activated.

JB's response was a non sequitur about the GPS-only Watch.

Wags asked the crucial question before I did.

This still true? If you have cellular watch you must have it active? Can’t use just with gps?

As to Apple's web page on emergency services, that's thrown me for another loop!

“Some cellular networks may not accept an emergency call from your Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6, or Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) if your Apple Watch isn’t activated, if it isn’t compatible with or configured to operate on a particular cellular network, or if isn’t set up for cellular service.”​

That suggests you may have to set up a plan, depending on the cellular network where you are.

Of course, my confusion now may be linked to “activation” vs. a dedicated cell plan for the Watch.

 

[deeddawg]

As to Apple's web page on emergency services, that's thrown me for another loop!

“Some cellular networks may not accept an emergency call from your Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 6, or Apple Watch Series 7 (GPS + Cellular) if your Apple Watch isn’t activated, if it isn’t compatible with or configured to operate on a particular cellular network, or if isn’t set up for cellular service.”​

That suggests you may have to set up a plan, depending on the cellular network where you are.

Of course, my confusion now may be linked to “activation” vs. a dedicated cell plan for the Watch.

With due respect, you're overthinking this.

Activation is when you set up the watch - pair it with your phone.

As for cell networks accepting a call -- what nation are you in? Does it have rules which require cellular carriers to take emergency calls such as the US, or does it not?

Buy the watch. Test it yourself.

 

[Saturn007]

Ha, ha! Right, I'm going to spend $$$, then press the button, and see if it makes an emergency call. Where I live, you can be fined for making false emergency calls.

Yes, I may be overthinking this, but that’s because someone posted that under Watch OS 8, and iOS 15, you now need an active Watch cell plan. I'm skeptical, but wanted confirmation on that. So, did Wags — see my quoting him.

In any case, do you know if you can set up a cellular Watch with an iPhone that runs on a non-Watch carrier?! Even Apple says

“Make sure that you have an eligible cellular service plan with a supported carrier.”​

​

Set up cellular on Apple Watch - Apple Support

With a cellular connection on Apple Watch, you can make calls, reply to messages, receive notifications, and more — even while you’re away from your iPhone.

support.apple.com

​

​

 

[deeddawg]

People post false or poorly thought out stuff all the time.

I'm rather surprised wherever you are disallows people from coordinating with their emergency services to test the functionality. Seems pretty backwards to me that you can't possibly test it yourself.

The info has already been given to you - See the link I posted above regarding which nations support emergency calling - and the footnotes designating which ones do require an active cellular plan of some sort.

And yes of course you can set up a GPS+Cellular watch without doing the cellular setup if your phone is on a carrier that doesn't support Apple Watch. You're quoting stuff out of context - of course the instructions for setting up cellular service on the watch would say you need to be on a carrier that supports it.

Anyway, I've tried to help and you just don't seem interested in doing anything for yourself. It makes zero sense for Apple to disable such capability with an OS update, and if you refuse to figure out a way to try it yourself you're on your own. Best of luck to you.