SMS with iPhone off?

[ANTAWNM26]

Kinda confusing still. Is it possible to send sms to non Apple users with iPhone turned off? Because if you can’t I don’t see how this device is considered a true lte device. Can someone please list what this watch is truly capable of and have tested it as well. Phone calls with iPhone off as well

 

[wesley96]

Are you referring to Apple Watch Series 3 LTE for this question? I think it is treated as an "LTE Data device", not a "phone with LTE connection". According to Apple's own support documents, AW won't be able to make phone calls or send texts if the paired iPhone is turned off. You can do other data-related activities over LTE, though.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547

 

[iamasmith]

Are you referring to Apple Watch Series 3 LTE for this question? I think it is treated as an "LTE Data device", not a "phone with LTE connection". According to Apple's own support documents, AW won't be able to make phone calls or send texts if the paired iPhone is turned off. You can do other data-related activities over LTE, though.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547

You can make and receive calls with the phone off or in AirPlane mode. I commonly ditch my phone in the trunk of my car when I'm going for a run and I still get calls and although not SMS I can still receive iMessage notifications which is fine for me because most of my personal network uses iOS.

I don't have any specific implementation details about SMS to explain why, but one could surmise that there is some limiting factor in SMS that means that it can only be targeted directly at one cellular device and although the watch soft SIM takes on the number it's actually a separate line. Also, the notes from my carrier (EE) say that to receive SMS the phone needs to be on so it may well be that the watch can continue to send SMS but not receive them (I haven't tried this).

I do know that when I leave my phone at home and switched on, when I run from there, I get the full range of other notifications from all apps popping up including SMS.

 

[Apple_Robert]

You can make and receive calls with the phone off or in AirPlane mode. I commonly ditch my phone in the trunk of my car when I'm going for a run and I still get calls and although not SMS I can still receive iMessage notifications which is fine for me because most of my personal network uses iOS.

I don't have any specific implementation details about SMS to explain why, but one could surmise that there is some limiting factor in SMS that means that it can only be targeted directly at one cellular device and although the watch soft SIM takes on the number it's actually a separate line. Also, the notes from my carrier (EE) say that to receive SMS the phone needs to be on so it may well be that the watch can continue to send SMS but not receive them (I haven't tried this).

I do know that when I leave my phone at home and switched on, when I run from there, I get the full range of other notifications from all apps popping up including SMS.

In order to receive calls on the AW s3 (in cellular mode) when the iPhone is in airplane mode, the caller has to dial the actual carrier assigned number of your watch. If the caller tries your normal iPhone number, the call will not reach your AW s3, even when the watch is in cellular mode.

 

[ANTAWNM26]

In order to receive calls on the AW s3 (in cellular mode) when the iPhone is in airplane mode, the caller has to dial the actual carrier assigned number of your watch. If the caller tries your normal iPhone number, the call will not reach your AW s3, even when the watch is in cellular mode.

Smh. This is nothing close to a lte device period. I’ll just keep waiting

 

[iamasmith]

In order to receive calls on the AW s3 (in cellular mode) when the iPhone is in airplane mode, the caller has to dial the actual carrier assigned number of your watch. If the caller tries your normal iPhone number, the call will not reach your AW s3, even when the watch is in cellular mode.

If you found this to be the case then there's something odd with your carrier. I've received calls on EE in the UK on my Watch with iPhone number with the phone turned off.

They do assign a different number for billing purposes and I can confirm that if you call from the watch with the phone turned off the receiver gets sees the iPhone number and you can receive numbers on your iPhone number with the phone off. If you aren't getting this service then you should be asking your carrier why.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you found this to be the case then there's something odd with your carrier. I've received calls on EE in the UK on my Watch with iPhone number with the phone turned off.

They do assign a different number for billing purposes and I can confirm that if you call from the watch with the phone turned off the receiver gets sees the iPhone number and you can receive numbers on your iPhone number with the phone off. If you aren't getting this service then you should be asking your carrier why.

Unless your watch is connecting to known WIFI networks, the watch cannot make or receive calls with the phone turned off.

My previous post was speaking to a cellular connection only with the watch with the phone turned off. I would be surprised if EE is able to do something with the watch that Apple says can't be done.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547

 

[iamasmith]

Unless your watch is connecting to known WIFI networks, the watch cannot make or receive calls with the phone turned off.

My previous post was speaking to a cellular connection only with the watch with the phone turned off. I would be surprised if EE is able to do something with the watch that Apple says can't be done.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205547

and I've even had a recruitment consultant phone me on the only number that they know when my iPhone has been in AirPlane mode in the trunk of my car and I've been away from Wifi so I'm really sure what you are saying here..

 

[Apple_Robert]

and I've even had a recruitment consultant phone me on the only number that they know when my iPhone has been in AirPlane mode in the trunk of my car and I've been away from Wifi so I'm really sure what you are saying here..

What I am saying is, according to the Apple support document which I linked, it isn't possible to make and receive phone calls on your watch (via cellular only connection) when the phone is off.

 

[dave006]

In order to receive calls on the AW s3 (in cellular mode) when the iPhone is in airplane mode, the caller has to dial the actual carrier assigned number of your watch. If the caller tries your normal iPhone number, the call will not reach your AW s3, even when the watch is in cellular mode.

Sorry but this it simply not true.

When properly setup for NumberShare, NumberSync, Digits or other pairing technology any inbound calls to the phone line assigned to your watch will receive a recorded carriers message and your watch will no ring. If your iPhone is off or offline on your carrier network, the phone call is directed directly to your watch if LTE is enabled.

Now back to the SMS/MMS Txt message question: to receive SMS/MMS Txt messages on your watch your iPhone be online and connected to your carrier's network. The actual messages are forwarded from the paired iPhone.

In the case of sending SMS/MMS Txt messages from your watch while you iPhone if offline or not available on your carrier network. Those messages will be sent correct. The first message often is a little slow but then sending works just fine.

Dave

 

[iamasmith]

What I am saying is, according to the Apple support document which I linked, it isn't possible to make and receive phone calls on your watch (via cellular only connection) when the phone is off.

Read it carefully again... and please stop countering things that we actually have tried when this looks down to a misunderstanding and not direct experience.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Read it carefully again... and please stop countering things that we actually have tried when this looks down to a misunderstanding and not direct experience.

Between my watch not receiving incoming calls like it should (which I was unaware of at the time) and misunderstanding the support document, I made some incorrect posts. My apologies to you and Dave.

I had a second LTE watch that had never been activated. After talking with Verizon about the first watch going straight to voicemail when phone was off, they issued a ticket after turning off voice LTE and back on etc. didn't work. I suggested trying the activation on the second watch, and lo and behold, the first watch started ringing when receiving an incoming call while the phone was off. Don't know how activating the second watch made the first watch act like it should, but it did.

 

[dave006]

No need to apologize, we all make mistakes from time to time in life and here on the forum. Many times a disagreement leads to learning for everyone.

In your case the issue was within the NumbrShare provisioning that Verizon managed to initially mess up. Since NumberShare is tied directly the paired iPhone's phone number, re-provisioning by Verizon was the key to making all work correctly.

Dave

 

[ANTAWNM26]

No need to apologize, we all make mistakes from time to time in life and here on the forum. Many times a disagreement leads to learning for everyone.

In your case the issue was within the NumbrShare provisioning that Verizon managed to initially mess up. Since NumberShare is tied directly the paired iPhone's phone number, re-provisioning by Verizon was the key to making all work correctly.

Dave

I def learned