The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a cellular model, similar to the Series 6, that allows you to make calls, check email, and listen to music without having to use your iPhone. You must, of course, own an iPhone and subscribe to an iPhone cellular plan. However, if you have a cellular Apple Watch, you’ll have to add the cost of an Apple Watch data plan to your monthly account.
Is an Apple Watch going to raise your phone bill?
All responses were received. Because the Apple Watch lacks built-in cellular capabilities, it does not require a separate plan or payment. Apple Watch uses the associated iPhone to make calls, send text messages, and consume cellular data, which is charged as part of your iPhone’s plan and bill.
Do you have to pay extra for an Apple Watch with cellular on your phone plan?
No, you will not be charged a monthly fee to use your watch. You may answer and make calls from your watch, send texts, and more without paying the $10 monthly cost as long as you have your linked iPhone with you. You only need to pay if you want to use your watch as a phone without having to connect it to your iPhone.
Is a data plan required for Apple Watches?
No! You don’t need a data plan for an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular to work. You may use a cellular Apple Watch without having to purchase a cellular plan from a cellular carrier!
When you’re working out, you can still use the watch without an iPhone or WiFi to track your activity data or listen to any music or podcasts you’ve downloaded to the watch.
You’ll need to connect your Apple Watch to nearby WiFi or have your linked iPhone nearby if you want to run apps that require internet connection.
Adding an LTE plan may be a smart alternative if you don’t want to carry your iPhone or have WiFi.
What features won’t work if I don’t purchase a cellular data plan for my Apple Watch and my iPhone or WiFi isn’t nearby?
Without a cellular subscription, your Apple Watch is severely limited when your iPhone isn’t nearby or a WiFi connection isn’t available.
Siri, iMessage, Phone Calls, Weather, Stocks, Home Control, Find Your Friends, Reminders, Podcasts, Apple Music streaming, Walkie Talkie, and other services won’t operate if your watch isn’t connected to your iPhone or isn’t connected to WiFi. Basically, any program that requires a connection to the internet will not work.
These apps, however, do not require an LTE plan to work. All you have to do is connect your Apple Watch to WiFi or pair it with your iPhone.
Can I still send text messages from my Apple Watch if I don’t purchase a data plan?
Yes! You can send and receive text messages on your Apple Watch as long as your iPhone is nearby or your Apple Watch is connected to WiFi.
Do I need to activate the data plan?
Yes, if you want a data plan for your Apple Watch. You will not begin paying for the service unit until the service is activated.
No, if you don’t want the Apple Watch to have a data plan. Your Apple Watch will continue to function normally. All you have to do is keep your iPhone close by or connect your Apple Watch to your WiFi network.
Can I use an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular without pairing it to an iPhone?
If you don’t have an iPhone, you can use an Apple Watch cellular model (Series 4 and up) as long as an organizer or parent/guardian in your family sharing plan does.
This stand-alone option is known as Family Setup by Apple. It lets a family organizer or parent/guardian using an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch for their family sharing group’s youngsters or older adults.
The watch connects to its own cellular data plan and receives its own mobile service, phone number, and account with Apple’s family setup. Not all carriers let you to set up data plans for your entire family. To understand more about how carriers work, check out this Apple document.
Your family member (organizer or parent) with an iPhone must first set up the Apple Watch GPS+Cellular as a standalone device using their iPhone before using it without an attached iPhone. You can use your watch once it has been set up.
Health data sharing, respiration rate, irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG, Cycle Tracking, Sleep, Blood Oxygen, Podcasts, Remote, News, Home, Shortcuts, and Apple Pay using a credit, debit, or transportation card in the Wallet app are all disabled for watches in Family Setup.
Is it worthwhile to get an Apple Watch?
What does it have in common with other smartwatches? It’s difficult to compare apples to oranges. Because of its flawless interaction with iOS, the Apple Watch is easily the best smartwatch to buy for iPhone owners. Simply because of this, the Apple Watch is a worthwhile purchase. Which other smartwatches, on the other hand, come close to challenging the Apple Watch?
What is the cost of adding an Apple Watch to my AT&T plan?
Is it possible to add an Apple Watch to an AT&T plan that already exists? For as little as $10 a month, you can add an Apple Watch to your existing plan. This means you can access the internet practically anywhere, just like you do on your phone.
Is it true that adding an Apple Watch to your Verizon phone plan raises your bill?
This ASSUMES you have a Cellular Apple Watch and have chosen to enable the cellular radio on your Apple Watch.
Verizon is unaware and unconcerned if you have a GPS-only Apple Watch, and you will not be charged.
If you have a cellular Apple Watch but don’t use it, Verizon doesn’t know, doesn’t care, and doesn’t charge you.
As long as your iPhone is nearby, a GPS alone (or cellular without activating the radio) Apple Watch works the same as an activated cellular Apple Watch.
Is it possible to receive SMS on an Apple Watch without a cellular connection?
Yes, if your Apple Watch and/or iPhone have the necessary connectivity.
When Apple Watch and the linked iPhone are connected through Bluetooth and your iPhone has access to both cellular service and the Internet, the entire range of features is available for Apple Watch versions without built-in cellular capability (via either cellular data or Wi-Fi).
For the devices to establish and keep their Bluetooth connection, you do not need to have your iPhone on or near you (within arm’s length, for example). Bluetooth’s normal range is roughly 33 feet / 10 meters (this will vary in practice due to wireless interference).
When your Apple Watch is unable to connect to the iPhone via Bluetooth, it will attempt to connect to a known Wi-Fi network, which is a compatible 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network that your iPhone has previously connected to while your Apple Watch was connected to the iPhone via Bluetooth (some exceptions apply).
When connected to Wi-Fi, the watch still has a lot of capabilities to offer.
Is it true that Apple watches consume a lot of data?
Because the Watch lacks cellular capability, it does not utilize any of your data. It uses Bluetooth to connect to the phone. Apps that you use on your watch acquire all of their information from your phone. So, instead of pulling out your phone, you now look at your watch in circumstances where you would normally pull out your phone. So, unless the watch causes you to start doing radically new things (e.g., you stream more using TuneIn because you now have the app on your watch and it’s easier to handle the app on your phone), you shouldn’t notice any big changes in data usage.
Is it necessary to include a line for the Apple Watch?
Apple Watch does not require or support the use of a separate phone number or cellular plan.
Because the Apple Watch lacks cellular capabilities, it can’t be used for cellular calls or text messaging unless it’s paired with a compatible iPhone (though Wi-Fi calling may be possible – see below), which must be an iPhone 5 or later and running the latest version of iOS:
When Apple Watch and iPhone are connected, the entire range of features is available. The gadgets will connect through Bluetooth whenever possible.
For the devices to establish and keep their Bluetooth connection, you don’t have to have your iPhone on or near you (within arm’s length, for example). Bluetooth’s normal range is roughly 33 feet / 10 meters (this will vary in practice due to wireless interference).
If your watch is unable to connect to the iPhone, it will attempt to connect to a known, compatible Wi-Fi network as a fallback.
When linked to Wi-Fi, the watch still has a variety of functionalities, including the ability to receive and send iMessage texts. You can use Apple Watch to make calls and (subject to carrier support) send and receive messages if your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling and it is supported on your plan and activated on your iPhone.
If your watch is unable to connect through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it still has some – albeit limited – functionality.
The following are the features that are still available in each case:
Apple advises that you maintain both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your iPhone permanently enabled for the best performance from your iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as the most power-efficient communication between them.
More information is available at:
What is the maximum distance between the Apple Watch and the iPhone?
When the Apple Watch and iPhone are connected through Bluetooth and the iPhone has access to both cellular service and the Internet, the complete range of functionality is available for an Apple Watch Series 1 or Apple Watch (1st generation) model (via either cellular data or Wi-Fi).
When the Apple Watch is unable to connect to the iPhone through Bluetooth, it will attempt to connect to a compatible Wi-Fi network as a fallback.
Apple Watch still has a variety of functionalities when connected to Wi-Fi as a fallback, including receiving and sending iMessage texts. You can use Apple Watch to make calls and (subject to carrier support) send and receive SMS / text messages if your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling and it is supported on your plan and activated on your iPhone.
If your Apple Watch is unable to connect through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it still has some – albeit limited – functionality.
The following are the features that are available in each case:
Apple advises that you maintain both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your iPhone permanently enabled for the best performance from your iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as the most power-efficient communication between them. More information is available at:
- Apple Support – Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on Apple Watch
- Return phone calls
- Apple Support – Identify Your Apple Watch
