On April 24, 2015, Apple Inc. released the first generation of the Apple Watch, and the device has become one of the most popular Apple devices. After purchasing an Apple Watch, you will need an iPhone 6s or later connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network to complete the initial setup. If you have already set up your Apple Watch, you might wonder if it can have a different phone number from your iPhone phone number.
So, can my Apple Watch have a different phone number? Your Apple Watch cannot have a different phone number separate from the one on your iPhone. The Apple Watch is not designed to work as an iPhone but rather with the iPhone. It will use the phone number in the paired iPhone to make and receive calls or send SMSs. Therefore, when you buy a new Apple Watch, you do not have to acquire another phone number for the device.
An Apple Watch can do many things, including making and receiving phones and sending SMSs. To carry out this function, the Apple Watch needs to have an active cellular plan obtained from the iPhone it is connected to carry out this function.
An Apple Watch is an awesome device, and it is one of the most popular devices because of the numerous features it possesses. To access some of the features on the Apple Watch, you need to sync it to your iPhone with an eligible cellular service plan. Since your iPhone already has a phone number, you might be wondering if the Apple Watch can have a different phone number.
An Apple Watch cannot have a different number because it is designed to use the one in the paired iPhone. When you set up your Apple Watch, it will start using the phone number in the iPhone paired to it after signing in using your Apple ID.
Apple Watch does not need separate phone numbers; hence, they were not designed with a slot to insert a sim card. If the Apple Watch is not synced to any iPhone, it will not carry out some functions that require cellular service. If you purchase an iPhone and an Apple Watch, there is no need to get two phone numbers.
When you pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone, your cellular service provider will use the phone number assigned to your Apple Watch to identify the device. Usually, each Apple Watch is assigned its phone number, but it is only for billing purposes.
Once you pair your Apple Watch to your iPhone, your Apple Watch will start using the phone number on your device when you make calls or send SMSs. You will see two different numbers when you get your cellular bill from your service provider.
This is to differentiate the activities on your iPhone from those on your Apple Watch. It will be easier to know how much was charged on your iPhone and how much was charged on your Apple Watch instead of showing all charges from the two devices under one phone number.
You can find the phone number assigned to your Apple Watch using your iPhone.
- Open the “Watch App” on your iPhone,
- Tap “Cellular”,
- Under “Cellular,” you will see the name of your cellular service provider, and on the right, an info icon characterized with a small letter “i” in a circle,
- Tap the info icon and tap on “Manage Account”.
You will see “Watch Line,” and next to it, you will see the phone number assigned to your Apple Watch. When someone calls your regular phone number on your iPhone, your Apple Watch will ring. However, if you attempt to call the phone number assigned to your Apple Watch using your iPhone, the call will not go through, and you will get a message that the number cannot be reached.
To make a call using your Apple Watch, you can use Siri to make the call. For example, after opening Siri, say “Call Sam” or “Dial 555 555 2949.” You can also make a call using your Phone app on the Apple Watch.
Open the Phone app, tap “Contacts,” and turn the part marked Digital Crown to scroll. Click or tap on the contact you intend to call and then tap on the phone button. If you do not have the phone number in your contacts, you can use the keypad to enter the number and then tap the phone button to make the call.
You can connect a family member’s Apple Watch to your iPhone if they do not have an iPhone. Turn on the watch and hold it near your iPhone. Pair the watch with your iPhone and set up a passcode.
Pick the family member and turn on “Ask to Buy” so that you can approve any download or purchases made from the Apple Watch. Add the Apple Watch to your cellular plan if your cellular service provider supports Family Setup. Turn on other features you deem necessary, such as Find my App, Health Date, or Siri.
Why Can Apple Watch Have a Different Phone Number?
Making a phone call on a device that you can wear on your wrist is one of the reasons most people want to own an Apple Watch. If you have been using your Apple Watch for a while, you might notice that the Watch’s number is different from your regular phone number. Here is why your Apple Watch has a different number from your iPhone.
The Apple Watch has a different phone number because of billing purposes. Before you set up your Apple Watch, one of the requirements is to ensure that your phone has an eligible cellular service plan. This cellular service plan will enable you to make calls and send SMSs using your Apple Watch after pairing it to your iPhone.
When the cellular service provider sends you the bill, it will contain two different phone numbers. One for your iPhone and the other for your Apple Watch, and the bill will indicate how much the cellular service provider has charged on each device.
When you buy a new Apple Watch, it will have a phone number assigned to it, but the use of this number will be limited to billing only. You cannot use that phone number to make phone calls. When you connect your Apple Watch to your iPhone, your cellular service provider will link the phone number to your cellular plan.
You can use this feature to track how much money you use on your iPhone and your Apple Watch. You can also tell how much your child has their Apple Watch if it is linked to your iPhone.
You should note that the Apple watch does not require a separate cellular plan; you can continue using your original cellular plan after pairing your Apple Watch to your iPhone. If you are using someone else’s cellular plan, inform them of the changes, so they are not surprised when they see your Apple Watch’s phone number on the bill.
Even though you need to pair an iPhone to your Apple Watch to make and receive calls, you can still use your Apple Watch without your iPhone. However, without an iPhone, the features of your Apple Watch will be limited depending on what kind of Apple Watch you have.
You will also need a Wi-Fi connection to access the features available, and if you cannot find a Wi-Fi network, the apps you can use will be limited even more. Some of the features and apps you can access using a Wi-Fi network on your Apple Watch include Siri, iMessage, making and receiving calls (if you’ve enabled Wi-Fi calling on your Apple Watch), streaming music, podcast, or radio, and any other apps that support Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi calling on your Apple Watch is possible if your cellular service provider offers Wi-Fi calling. If you left your iPhone far from you or turned off, and you need to make a call urgently, you can do it over Wi-Fi. You need to enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone.
To do this,
- go to “Settings” on your iPhone,
- tap on “Phone”,
- tap on “Wi-Fi Calling”,
- turn on Wi-Fi Calling on your iPhone, and
- click on “Allow Wi-Fi-Calling for other devices”.
Open the phone app on your Apple Watch, select a contact and tap the phone button. Select the phone number or FaceTime address you want to call. You can also use Wi-Fi Calling on your Apple Watch to make emergency calls.
Can I Change the Phone Number on My Apple Watch?
It is easy to change your phone number, and some people do it very often either to keep their privacy or change their cellular service provider. Every Apple Watch has a phone number different from the phone number you get from your cellular service provider. After checking the phone number on your iPhone, you might be wondering if it is possible to change the phone number on your Apple Watch.
You cannot change the phone number on your Apple Watch because it does not have built-in cellular capability. After pairing your Apple Watch to your iPhone, the Apple Watch will start using the phone number on your phone. When you make a call using your Apple Watch, the person receiving your call will see your phone number from your cellular service provider and not the Apple Watch’s phone number.
There is also no need to change your Apple Watch’s number since Apple has not made the Apple Watch a stand-alone device. If Apple decides to make the cellular Apple Watch a stand-alone device, they could allow users to change their phone numbers.
When you change your cellular service provider on your iPhone, you need to remove the previous service plan from your Apple Watch and sign in with a new plan to continue using your Apple Watch to make and receive calls.
Your Apple Watch and iPhone need to be using the same cellular service provider unless the watch was set up by a person who does not use an iPhone. To remove a previous cellular plan and add a new one on your iPhone,
- open the Apple Watch app,
- tap “Cellular”,
- tap on the info icon next to your current cellular service provider,
- tap “{Cellular} Remove Plan”.
To add a new plan, tap “Add a New Plan” and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process.
Before changing your cellular service provider, you must ensure that it is a supported carrier and provides an eligible cellular service plan. It will be a waste of money and time to change your cellular carrier only to find out Apple does not support it.
If you are traveling to another country, you should check which cellular service provider in that country has Apple support. All Apple Watches are usually optimized for use in the country of purchase, and there is no single device that works in all countries or regions. Check the Apple website for the full list of all the supported cellular service providers in the world.
After changing your cellular service provider and adding the new carrier to your Apple Watch, you can check the strength of the new cellular network from the Control Center or the Explorer watch face.
The Apple Watch usually connects automatically to the most power-efficient wireless network available. When you turn on your iPhone, your Apple Watch will connect to cellular using LTE networks.
To check the signal strength, open Control Center, tap and hold the bottom of the screen, then swipe up. The green dots will show the signal strength; one dot means it is weak, and four dots means the signal is very strong.
Wrap Up
A cellular connection on your Apple Watch is very important because it allows you to make calls and send SMSs. Even though an Apple Watch comes with an assigned phone number, it will use the phone number in your iPhone.
The purpose of the Apple Watch’s phone number is for billing. Instead of sending a bill for both devices on the same phone number, your cellular service provider will separate the charges of the two devices.
The charges of all calls made and messages sent using your iPhone will be under the phone number from your carrier, while the charges of all calls made and messages sent using your Apple Watch will be under the watch’s phone number.
However, since your Apple Watch uses the same phone number as your iPhone, it is impossible to change its number. If you want to change your number, you can contact your cellular service provider, buy a new sim card or change your cellular service provider.
