Using Set up for someone else greatly limits apple watch's functionality and apps available.

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Using Set up for someone else greatly limits apple watch's functionality and apps available.

Summary:

Using "Set up for someone else" on my wife's iphone to setup an Apple Watch greatly limits the functionality and apps available. How can I get full functionality for my Son's watch if it Apple requires me to setup with another iphone?

Let me explain....

We bought a brand new Apple 6 GPS & Cellular Watch with standalone cellular activated and setup with my wife's phone - cellular worked, but it was very limited in other features....and afterwards Apple indeed informed us the watch would have limited features if it's setup with a parent's phone using "setup for someone else".

To get around the limitations, we tried the setup with his personal iPhone and all the features and apps work great, but since my Son's iPhone is not active on a cellular provider, the apple watch's stand alone cellular breaks. As I said above, we can use my wife's iphone to setup the watch and the stand alone cellular works again, but numerous features and apps are removed!

We confirmed with Verizon and Apple that a child must have his own iphone on a cellular network to setup directly for all the good features to work - that would cost an additional activation and monthly fee on top of the $1000 watch and stand alone cellular service. That seems like a silly and intentional design limitation!

How can we get full functionality for my Son's stand alone cellular apple watch if it apple does not allow it to be setup with our Son's iPhone (that does not also have cellular activated)? 😕

Posted on Jan 9, 2021 7:09 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,781 points

Jan 9, 2021 8:26 AM in response to saksirisan

You can't, it doesn't work that way, as both Verizon and Apple have explained to you.

Cellular activation depends on pairing with an iPhone with cellular service and a service provider that supports Watch. The watch is added to the phone's service with it's own cellular data plan that runs $10 to $15 a month depending on the carrier.

There is no cheating the system and getting around that. Otherwise, who would be providing the watch's cellular service and who would be paying for it?

M1 Mac mini, macOS 11.1; Watch, series 5 GPS/cellular, watchOS 7.2; iPad Pro 2nd Gen, iPadOS 14.3; iPad Air 2, iPadOS 14.3; iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 14.3; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 14.3  HomePods, audioOS 14.3 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2

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Answer 2

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,781 points

Jan 9, 2021 10:57 AM in response to saksirisan

There is currently no such thing as a fully stand alone cellular Watch.

An Watch GPS+Cellular version is only aware of it's association with a cellular service account when it is paired with the iPhone with that account. Paired with an iPhone that has no cellular service leaves the watch in limbo.

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Answer 3

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,781 points

Jan 9, 2021 10:52 AM in response to saksirisan

Then share that opinion with Apple.

Apple Feedback -

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

M1 Mac mini, macOS 11.1; Watch, series 5 GPS/cellular, watchOS 7.2; iPad Pro 2nd Gen, iPadOS 14.3; iPad Air 2, iPadOS 14.3; iPhone 12 Pro, iOS 14.3; TV 4th Gen, tvOS 14.3  HomePods, audioOS 14.3 and Airport Express w/ Airplay 2

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Answer 4

saksirisan Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 9, 2021 11:07 AM in response to Dah•veed

Hi Dad-veed,

Stand Alone Cellular Watch is the term Verizon uses (you can request this) and is how we are currently using it with it's own phone number.

Unfortunately, it's limited in functionality because it doesn't have a dedicated phone pairing, but I can assure you Stand Alone Cellular Watch is how my Son uses his watch to send and receive calls on his own number.

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Answer 5

saksirisan Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 9, 2021 10:15 AM in response to Dah•veed

I appreciate the confirmation of what I said, but don't believe it should be limited as you say.

We are indeed paying for 3 lines (2 cellular iPhones and 1 cellular apple watch) and don't have a problem paying for these.

However, for the cellular apple watch to not work when setup with an iphone that works totally fine (just not setup with service) is an unnecessary limitation. If the apple watch has stand alone cellular and a an active number on a paid account, there's no reason the call function should be disabled if it's setup with a working iphone.

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Answer 6

saksirisan Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 9, 2021 10:47 AM in response to saksirisan

Alternatively, a new Apple Watch 6 should not be limited in function and apps if it's setup with a parents iphone, unless a parent wants it to be limited.

I believe Apple has a responsibility to clear state that the Apple Watch is greatly limited if it does not have an additional dedicated and activated iphone. ie Using a parents iPhone to setup Apple Watch will not provide all features as advertised.

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Answer 7

Dah•veed

Level 9

66,781 points

Jan 9, 2021 11:21 AM in response to saksirisan

I stand corrected, Verizon is offering such a scheme and calling it that. A good deal for only $10 for a watch. Especially to have cellular service for far less than the cost of cellular service for a smartphone. However, as you have learned, it has its drawbacks.

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Using Set up for someone else greatly limits apple watch's functionality and apps available.

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