Apple Questions

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work? Set up and Guide

by Chelsea Bruhl on Sep 26, 2024

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work

Consider buying Apple Watch Cellular. Check this guide on How does Apple Watch Cellular Work before you pull the trigger.

If you are considering buying an Apple Watch now, you might consider whether you should go for the Cellular or the GPS. If you check about Cellular Apple Watches, you will find that some people love them. Then some people are on the fence, wondering whether to go for it or not.

Some people believe opting to buy the Apple Cellular watch may seem that you are unnecessarily paying a lot more and wasting your money. 

And there is another group of people who think it is entirely unnecessary.

But it would help if you looked at some of the fantastic things that this incredible Apple device can enable you to do.

In this article, MacSecurity will answer popular questions on how Apple Watch Cellular works so you are able to make calls straight from your smartwatch without having your iPhone around.

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How does Apple Watch Cellular Work

What the Apple Cellular Watch enables users to do?

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work

With the Apple Cellular Watch, without the distractions of your regular smartphone, you have tools that enable you to stay in touch with family, and friends, and you can get your work done. You can still keep in touch with them. You need not miss any of the critical communications. The emails can be checked, and you can also send messages.

So, in some ways, it can take care of both your personal life and your work life. But before we go into further details, let us try and understand what the Apple Watch with Cellular can do for you.

What can the Apple Watch with Cellular do for users?

As a user of the Apple Watch with Cellular and a cellular connection to the same carrier used by your phone, you can make calls without taking out your phone. Apart from this, you would also reply to messages quickly on the go (even if there isn’t internet).

With it, you can use Walkie-Talkie mode for instant communication between friends or family members that are also using an Apple device at any time of day or night! In other words, it means that you will never miss another call.

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work

Not only do we provide minimalistic design, but this technology provides connectivity even when Wi-Fi is not available, like underground subway stations, etc., and streaming music and podcasts, which gives users more options than ever before!!! 

So, in our opinion, it is well worth buying and using the Apple Watch with Cellular. Though it might seem a bit expensive, it is worth paying the extra amount considering what you stand to gain. But let us look at how to set up Cellular on the Apple Watch.

How to set up Cellular on Apple Watch?

Pre-Conditions for setting up

Before you set up Cellular on your Apple Watch, there are certain pre-conditions that you need to ensure are met. These are as follows:

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work
  • You need to ensure that you are using the latest software on your Apple Watch and your iPhone. 
  • After this, you need to check pending updates to your carrier settings and have the same updated.
  • Apart from this, you also need to ensure that you have an eligible cellular service plan with a supported carrier.
  • The network services used both on your iPhone, and your Apple Watch needs to be the same for your Cellular Apple Watch to function.
  • It is to be noted that pre-paid accounts are not eligible for this service. 

Setting up Cellular on your Apple Watch

Activating Cellular on your Apple Watch can be done at the very beginning on your Apple Watch. Or it can also be done when you set up for a family member. So let us explore the setting up process in each of these scenarios:

Setting up Cellular on Apple Watch using the Apple Watch application

Steps Involved

Step 1: Open the Apple Watch App on your Apple Watch

Step 2: You need to choose the My Watch option and then choose the Cellular option.

Step 3: Then you need to choose the Set Up Cellular option here

Step 4: Depending on the carrier you use, you need to follow instructions for setting up Cellular. In this step, you may need the help of your carrier, which is why you might have to get in touch with them.

With their help, you should be able to set up Cellular on your apple watch.

How to set up Cellular on the Apple Watch of a family member?

It is possible that your family member may not have or own an iPhone. What is essential, though, in this case, is that the Cellular supports the use of the Apple Watch. It might so happen that the plan of your carrier you are using may not support the use of the Apple Watch. If it is so, you need to switch over the plan, which does. And if you find that none of the plans of the carrier you are using supports the use of the Apple Watch, you have to consider switching over to a carrier that supports the Apple Watch. Once this is done, the following are the steps that you need to follow to set up Cellular on the Apple Watch of a family member. 

Steps Involved

Step 1: You need to open the Watch App on the iPhone you use

Step 2: After this, you need to choose the All-Watches option, which will show all the Apple Watches. 

Step 3: From the list of the All Watch Apple Watches, you have to choose the Apple Watch that your family member is using.

Step 4: Under this option, you have to choose the sub-option Cellular. 

Step 5: Under the Cellular sub-option option, you need to choose your carrier and follow all the instructions as required by the carrier.

Step 6: You might need to contact your carrier for help to complete the set-up of the Cellular.

Step 7: After setting up Cellular on the Apple Watch, you can see your family members’ phone numbers by going to Settings > Phone.

By following these steps, you can set up Cellular on your family member’s Apple watch. It is pretty simple and useful.

How to Connect the Apple Watch to a Cellular Network

Once the Apple Watch cellular has been set up, it needs to connect to the cellular network. The Apple Watch of your family member switches to the most energy-efficient connection possible. The Apple Watch will connect to your iPhone when it’s nearby, a Wi-Fi network or LTE network if available. If neither of those connections is accessible, then UMTS attempts as a backup option with supported carriers.

The Apple Watch can connect to a cellular network. When doing so, you can check how strong of an internet connection it’s getting by opening Control Center or looking at your Explorer’s face on the watch itself. To open Control Center, touch and hold anywhere below your screen until you see all kinds of options appear in tiny bubbles around there- swipe up from that spot now.

Indications that the Apple Watch is connected

When you have a cellular connection, the green button will turn on and show how strong your signal is. On the other hand, the Cellular button turns white when your cellular plan is active, but you are connected to the iPhone using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

How to Check Cellular Signal Strength on your Apple Watch

If you are connected to a cellular network, try one of the following,

  • Use the Explorer watch face, which displays cellular signal strength as green dots. A good link consists of four dots. Poor one dot.
  • Open Control Center on your Apple Watch and check status of the cellular connection using the green bars at the top.
  • You can add a Cellular complication to the watch face.

How to Check cellular data usage on your Apple Watch

On your Apple Watch, launch the Settings application.

To view how much data you've used recently, tap Cellular and then scroll down.

How to Remove or Change a Cellular plan/Carrier on Apple Watch

As mentioned earlier, there could be times when the carrier you are using does not support Apple Watch. In such cases, a change in carrier needs to be done to ensure that the Apple Watch is supported. If the Apple Watch had the service plan of the earlier carrier has to be removed. In such cases, the following steps need to be followed:

Steps Required to be followed 

Step 1 Open the Apple Watch App on the Apple Watch

Step 2 Then you need to choose the cellular option here

Step 3: The Apple Watch would automatically switch to the carrier used on the iPhone. Then you need to add a new plan. You have to follow the steps that you see on the Apple Watch screen. If you see that the previous plan is still visible, then the same has to be removed. Here again, the help of the career you intend to use might be required.

Transfer of cellular plan to a new Apple Watch

If you are using a new Apple Watch, you can also transfer the cellular service from the previous Apple Watch to the new one. It, too, can be done pretty simply. 

How does International roaming work with your Apple Watch

International roaming is accessible on cellular variants of the Apple Watch Series 5 and later, Apple Watch SE and later, and Apple Watch Ultra with watchOS 9.1 and later.

Contact your iPhone carrier to connect your watch to your iPhone cellular roaming plan in order to enable foreign roaming on your Apple Watch. Your carrier must enable VoLTE and roaming for your Apple Watch to be able to use it abroad. Apple Watch international roaming is not supported by all carriers, and your carrier will determine your coverage abroad.

Open your Apple Watch's Settings app to enable international roaming. After selecting Cellular, enable Data Roaming.

Regional Apple Watch cellular variants are available for the Americas, China mainland, and Europe/Asia Pacific to cover the LTE and UMTS bands utilized globally. There isn't a global Apple Watch model that supports all cellular bands used worldwide, unlike the iPhone. Check out which cellular providers in your nation or region offer Apple Watch service.

How does Apple Watch Cellular Work - Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that the Apple Cellular watch has been very popular in recent times. It has various benefits that are associated with the same. But in case you are wondering how to go about setting up the Cellular on Apple Watch, we have mentioned the steps in detail to go about the process.

We hope that the steps mentioned here will enable you to do the same based on your specific requirements. Once this is done, you will enjoy all the benefits that Apple Watch Cellular offers. So we wish you all the best for the same. 

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