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yep. same here. T-Mobile @work account is not working. first it was the SSN authentication; then it was not being able to activate the service agreement. Now its back to the SSN authentication. Guess its all business accounts that are trying to activate their watch onto one of the number. Would be great if Apple Support and/or T-Mobile support would be helpful instead of making stupid comments like - you must buy your watch from a t-mobile store, or its the sim card, or its your wifi.

Exact same issue for me too. Driving me nuts. Such a botched launch. The issue is on T-Mobiles side, but I'm still mad at Apple, because they usually have really high standards for those that work with them, and it seems strange that their QA team wouldn't of discovered these same activation problems.
 
Exact same issue for me too. Driving me nuts. Such a botched launch. The issue is on T-Mobiles side, but I'm still mad at Apple, because they usually have really high standards for those that work with them, and it seems strange that their QA team wouldn't of discovered these same activation problems.

yes, clearly a t-mobile issue. its on their pages it seems. I have also had no end of problems on their @work plan in adding other services or upgrades - I cannot get self service (via their app) to work at all other than for viewing - it keeps saying I have to do into the store or call their customer service to change anything. rather silly IMO in this day and age.
 
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So just called AT&T since my watch was not getting added.

It seems that the sim card in my iPhone 6S is not compatible with HD Voice. The CS rep could see that the sim card was from iPhone 5s, which I had before my 6 and 6s I just kept moving the sim over to my new phones. So they told me I need to go an AT&T store and get a new sim and then I should be all set
 
Spent more than an hour at a T-Mobile store trying to add my apple-purchased watch to my account. I ended up leaving with a new SIM and a new Digits plan that are both *not* tied to my watch. I was told in a day or so they'll have everything worked out and I'll just need to call to swap the new SIM to the Phone's eSIM ... and that it will be a piece of cake because the Digits plan is already setup. we'll see...
 
I don't have T-Mobile business account but getting a Code 409 error after entering my SSN info. Error basically says my account type or device does not support adding the secondary device (the S3 watch). Been trying to active my S3 watch since launch day with no success. Watch was purchased from Apple, not T-Mobile, and I'm being told that's the "problem".
 
3 days later and I still cannot activate my LTE on the new Apple Watch, T-Mobile keep asking me to unpair, pair, restart all my devices every 2-4 hours, come on T-Mobile, there has to be a better way!!!!!

I was in the same boat. Luckily, I had mine activated yesterday. Don't waste your time to unpair and restart all devices. It is a backend issue. Seems watches order from Apple online and shipped to you directly from China did not scan into inventory database. So, carriers can't validate the watch when you try to activate it. Seems, ATT and Verizon can manually link your watch's IMEI and EID in their backend. T-Mobile told me that they can't do it manually. However one of the T-Mobile reps did ask for my IMEI and EID on Saturday. And I was able to activate it successfully Sunday without unpair, reboot or another crap. From what I can tell this not carrier's fault, Apple failed to add watch shipped from factory directly to inventory database. But the tech support from T-Mobile make the matter 10 times worse.
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Spent more than an hour at a T-Mobile store trying to add my apple-purchased watch to my account. I ended up leaving with a new SIM and a new Digits plan that are both *not* tied to my watch. I was told in a day or so they'll have everything worked out and I'll just need to call to swap the new SIM to the Phone's eSIM ... and that it will be a piece of cake because the Digits plan is already setup. we'll see...

They did that to me on Friday. It DID NOT work. I have to make more then one calls to get them removed.
 
I was in the same boat. Luckily, I had mine activated yesterday. Don't waste your time to unpair and restart all devices. It is a backend issue. Seems watches order from Apple online and shipped to you directly from China did not scan into inventory database. So, carriers can't validate the watch when you try to activate it. Seems, ATT and Verizon can manually link your watch's IMEI and EID in their backend. T-Mobile told me that they can't do it manually. However one of the T-Mobile reps did ask for my IMEI and EID on Saturday. And I was able to activate it successfully Sunday without unpair, reboot or another crap. From what I can tell this not carrier's fault, Apple failed to add watch shipped from factory directly to inventory database. But the tech support from T-Mobile make the matter 10 times worse.
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They did that to me on Friday. It DID NOT work. I have to make more then one calls to get them removed.

Are you a business customer ?
 
Was this resolved? I have the same issue and after 90 mins on the phone, T-Mobile rep told me that my option was to return the watch to Apple and buy it through tmobile! Unreal!!

No resolution yet. Just got off the phone with T-Mobile and according to rep, the fix is to use bluetooth and wifi for now until the issue is resolved. Heh. Ok, so use it like it was my First Generation Apple Watch? I think I can do that. Other than that, he said they had not received any updates on the issue today.
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OK, I just talked to the Apple iPhone Tech support part of T-Mobile and got the true story. This is only an issue with T-Mobile business plans. They and Apple are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it but they have no idea about how long it will take to resolve. They have no way of letting people know when it is fixed which is ridiculous so I guess I'll have to just try it every couple of hours.

Yep, I'm on a business plan also.
 
Just got off the phone with T-Mobile business support. They told me that apple will be pushing a software update to allow business customers to activate their phones. No ETA on the update.

Not sure how true that is, but thought I would pass along for those effected.
 
I successfully have my new Apple Watch working. Just took it straight from home to att and let them unbox scan and set up 10 min later I'm working!
 



Apple Watch Series 3 models are being delivered across the United States and the rest of the world today, and as customers start attempting to activate their new LTE devices, some of them are running into serious setup issues.

On the MacRumors forums, several AT&T customers have received messages stating AT&T is not supported. Support reps seem confused about how Apple Watch activation works, with one rep telling MacRumors reader KG87 that his watch needs a new number.

applewatchseries3-800x308.jpg
Many of the affected AT&T customers have said the company seems to be having trouble activating watches not purchased directly through AT&T and have been spending quite a lot of time on the phone in an attempt to get the problem ironed out. Some customers are even being told to call back tomorrow. From MacRumors reader Greg:According to another AT&T support rep, customers who ordered an Apple Watch directly from Apple will not be getting them activated until tomorrow because they're missing key information Apple was supposed to send them.

Verizon users don't seem to be having as much trouble as AT&T users, but several have been told Verizon's systems aren't fully functional. Verizon is said to be doing maintenance to fix the problem and there's no estimate of when issues will be worked out. Many VZW customers may not be able to make phone calls due to the server issues.

T-Mobile customers also appear to be having significant issues, like MacRumors reader Jesse, who said he's spent several hours on the phone with T-Mobile trying to work out an authentication error with his social security number. "T-Mobile reps are completely unprepared for dealing with this issue today. Spent many hours on the phone with T-Mobile and Apple already. Apple claims this is T-Mobile issue," he told us.

T-Mobile customers have also been told the company is having system wide issues affecting the signal T-Mobile users are getting on the Apple Watch.

At least some of the activation issues are due to customers who have incompatible plans. AT&T customers with a grandfathered unlimited data plan, for example, are not able to use the Apple Watch Series 3, despite assurances from AT&T reps that the watch was compatible with the plan.

Across the pond, some EE subscribers in the UK are having the same activation problems, and EE reps are at a loss on how to helpThough some customers are having issues, others have been able to activate their LTE watches with no problems and have even said it's an easy process. For the subset of users running into issues, though, it's been a frustrating afternoon attempting to deal with Apple support and carrier representatives who are still struggling to figure out all the quirks and problems that come along with supporting a new device.

Update: Several AT&T customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans have been able get an Apple Watch Series 3 to work with their plans with the help of an AT&T representative. The Apple Watch can be set up as an independent wearable and then linked to the iPhone using NumberSync.

Article Link: Some Apple Watch Series 3 Owners Facing LTE Activation Issues [Updated]
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These carriers charge $10 whole extra dollars per month for a device that will a) default as much as possible to the iphone or wifi and b) would likely only be used in place of the phone (resulting in little extra network usage overall) and they botch the launch too!

AND they pull stuff like this:


Really? The "plan" is incompatible? Sounds like AT&T wants even MORE than the $10 per month that is already outrageous!

Sorry- OK, rant off. My heart goes out to the people being screwed by this.
SPRINT is hell on earth. The most ill informed, untrained, people who make it up as they go along. They outright lie to customers and other employees will admit it when pressed.
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Apple Watch Series 3 models are being delivered across the United States and the rest of the world today, and as customers start attempting to activate their new LTE devices, some of them are running into serious setup issues.

On the MacRumors forums, several AT&T customers have received messages stating AT&T is not supported. Support reps seem confused about how Apple Watch activation works, with one rep telling MacRumors reader KG87 that his watch needs a new number.

applewatchseries3-800x308.jpg
Many of the affected AT&T customers have said the company seems to be having trouble activating watches not purchased directly through AT&T and have been spending quite a lot of time on the phone in an attempt to get the problem ironed out. Some customers are even being told to call back tomorrow. From MacRumors reader Greg:According to another AT&T support rep, customers who ordered an Apple Watch directly from Apple will not be getting them activated until tomorrow because they're missing key information Apple was supposed to send them.

Verizon users don't seem to be having as much trouble as AT&T users, but several have been told Verizon's systems aren't fully functional. Verizon is said to be doing maintenance to fix the problem and there's no estimate of when issues will be worked out. Many VZW customers may not be able to make phone calls due to the server issues.

T-Mobile customers also appear to be having significant issues, like MacRumors reader Jesse, who said he's spent several hours on the phone with T-Mobile trying to work out an authentication error with his social security number. "T-Mobile reps are completely unprepared for dealing with this issue today. Spent many hours on the phone with T-Mobile and Apple already. Apple claims this is T-Mobile issue," he told us.

T-Mobile customers have also been told the company is having system wide issues affecting the signal T-Mobile users are getting on the Apple Watch.

At least some of the activation issues are due to customers who have incompatible plans. AT&T customers with a grandfathered unlimited data plan, for example, are not able to use the Apple Watch Series 3, despite assurances from AT&T reps that the watch was compatible with the plan.

Across the pond, some EE subscribers in the UK are having the same activation problems, and EE reps are at a loss on how to helpThough some customers are having issues, others have been able to activate their LTE watches with no problems and have even said it's an easy process. For the subset of users running into issues, though, it's been a frustrating afternoon attempting to deal with Apple support and carrier representatives who are still struggling to figure out all the quirks and problems that come along with supporting a new device.

Update: Several AT&T customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans have been able get an Apple Watch Series 3 to work with their plans with the help of an AT&T representative. The Apple Watch can be set up as an independent wearable and then linked to the iPhone using NumberSync.

Article Link: Some Apple Watch Series 3 Owners Facing LTE Activation Issues [Updated]
These carriers charge $10 whole extra dollars per month for a device that will a) default as much as possible to the iphone or wifi and b) would likely only be used in place of the phone (resulting in little extra network usage overall) and they botch the launch too!

AND they pull stuff like this:


Really? The "plan" is incompatible? Sounds like AT&T wants even MORE than the $10 per month that is already outrageous!

Sorry- OK, rant off. My heart goes out to the people being screwed by this.
 
I was one of the people who was having issues activating my Series 3 Apple Watch with AT&T. Nothing worked. After 10 frustrating calls to AT&T and Apple, the very last call finally fixed the issue and suddenly, everything worked. Up until that point no one was able to figure out why my watch wasn’t working. Everyone kept saying it should be active. They asked for my IMEI and EID so many times, I practically memorized them. FINALLY, I was referred to yet another AT&T office at (866) 267-4510. This was after I got one last message during number sync that my “order requires further review.” The nice rep looked over my account and said everything looked ok. But finally took one last look at the actual SIM Number to the built in SIM internal to the Apple Watch. Low and behold the SIM number supplied to AT&T by Apple did not match the SIM number they had on file. She updated the SIM number and all at once the number sync process on my iPhone Watch app started working as it should and instead of another error message, it took me to a completion screen and finally a data plan sprang up next to my Cellular Tab. It works now. So after four days and 10+ calls, it boiled down to the internal SIM number that Apple had supplied to AT&T being incorrect. Once updated, everything worked just like it was supposed to. I can go to sleep now.........
 
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I was one of the people who was having issues activating my Series 3 Apple Watch with AT&T. Nothing worked. After 10 frustrating calls to AT&T and Apple, the very last call finally fixed the issue and suddenly, everything worked. Up until that point no one was able to figure out why my watch wasn’t working. Everyone kept saying it should be active. They asked for my IMEI and EID so many times, I practically memorized them. FINALLY, I was referred to yet another AT&T office at (866) 267-4510. This was after I got one last message during number sync that my “order requires further review.” The nice rep looked over my account and said everything looked ok. But finally took one last look at the actual SIM Number to the built in SIM internal to the Apple Watch. Low and behold the SIM number supplied to AT&T by Apple did not match the SIM number they had on file. She updated the SIM number and all at once the number sync process on my iPhone Watch app started working as it should and instead of another error message, it took me to a completion screen and finally a data plan sprang up next to my Cellular Tab. It works now. So after four days and 10+ calls, it boiled down to the internal SIM number that Apple had supplied to AT&T being incorrect. Once updated, everything worked just like it was supposed to. I can go to sleep now.........

Do you recall what errors you were getting while attempting to activate it? Just curious, may be helpful as errors can at times lead to a solution.
 
Just got off the phone with T-Mobile business support. They told me that apple will be pushing a software update to allow business customers to activate their phones. No ETA on the update.

Latest from T-Mobile- “please feel free to get in touch with our business care at 1-800-937-8997 so that we may set you up. Setting it up on our system is the very first thing to do as we'll activate a line for it first and then, that'll be the time where you'll activate it thru your end.”

I don’t think this guy knows what he’s talking about. Not holding my breath
 
Do you recall what errors you were getting while attempting to activate it? Just curious, may be helpful as errors can at times lead to a solution.

Yes, the first time I set up cell service with AT&T, I clicked on the CELULAR Tab on my iPhone App. It went to a Numbersync page which advised me to log into my account then to check a terms and conditions box and then submit. Looked like it went through, then got a message that my order required further review. I got an email saying my order was being activated and I would get notified in 24 hours. Then clicking the cellular tab took me to a “Whoops, Something went wrong page (EDS4007). I was forced to repeat this nightmare about half a dozen times. Finally called (866) 267-4510. They are the ones who found the SIM number mismatch.

Once that was corrected, I did numbersync one more time and everything just clicked.
 
Has anyone found a workaround to activate an AW3 on Verizon with a gUDP? I have tried calling different agents but all keep advising that I need to switch to a newer plan to activate the watch. As I was buying out of contract phones for a few years to keep this plan I just want to ensure I explored all options prior to giving in to Verizon latest tactic to get me to move on! Thanks in advance for any help!
 
IM FED UP WITH TMOBILE AND MY 8 PLUS IS DROPPING CALLS LIKE IT'S CANDY. I WROTE A LONG EMAIL TO JOHN LEGERE SO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM CALLS ME. I AM SWITCHING TO GEAR S3 AND NOTE 8 UNTIL THE X DOWN THE ROAD. I AM RETURNING MY APPLE WATCH. THEY HAVE TIPPED ME OVER THE TOP WITH THEIR HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
 
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