Just got my new ultra. I could have sworn my old watch was able to call and receive calls from the iPhone number when the iPhone was turned off. I migrated my cellular plan but can only call or receive calls from the apple watch number. Before I start troubleshooting, was I imagining that the numbers were somehow synced so your watch would ring when somebody called your iPhone and it was off?
Apple Watch Ultra, watchOS 9
Technically, the cellular Apple Watch has its own phone number assigned to it but in practice it takes on the identity of the phone number of the iPhone you set it up with. Each carrier calls it something different. Basically what this service does is it allows you to make and receive phone calls and text messages from your Apple Watch (even when your iPhone is not nearby). I guess the simplest way to describe it is that it treats your Apple Watch like it is a 2nd iPhone that has the same phone number as your iPhone.
So if you leave your iPhone at home and only have your Apple Watch and you call or text someone (or they you) they see the phone call as coming from you (your normal iPhone cell number or text number). It truly “syncs” the phone number associated with your iPhone with your Apple Watch.
On your cell phone bill you will see your Apple Watch listed as a separate phone number (one that is unique to your Apple Watch). This number associated with your cellular Apple Watch has no purpose other than as a billing identifier.
Technically, the cellular Apple Watch has its own phone number assigned to it but in practice it takes on the identity of the phone number of the iPhone you set it up with. Each carrier calls it something different. Basically what this service does is it allows you to make and receive phone calls and text messages from your Apple Watch (even when your iPhone is not nearby). I guess the simplest way to describe it is that it treats your Apple Watch like it is a 2nd iPhone that has the same phone number as your iPhone.
So if you leave your iPhone at home and only have your Apple Watch and you call or text someone (or they you) they see the phone call as coming from you (your normal iPhone cell number or text number). It truly “syncs” the phone number associated with your iPhone with your Apple Watch.
On your cell phone bill you will see your Apple Watch listed as a separate phone number (one that is unique to your Apple Watch). This number associated with your cellular Apple Watch has no purpose other than as a billing identifier.
Thanks, I looked through those and couldn't find my answer. I know it works on cellular without the iPhone turned on. My question is should people calling the iPhone number still ring on the watch if the iPhone is off and if i call someone else from the watch without the iPhone turned on....will the person receiving the call see it from my iPhone or watch number? Right now, if I turn off my iphone and call someone from my watch....it shows as coming from my watch number....not the iphone one.
Ok, thats what I thought should happen but its not. Does the phone have to actually be on and just not with you for this to work? I thought on my past watches....if you turned off your iphone or say it died and someone called your iphone...it would still ring on your watch?
I ended up bricking my cellular upgrading to 9.0.2 so I did a restore from backup and it came up clean. I am now able to call from and receive calls from my iphone number even when its turned off. Not sure what the original issue was but its resolved for now.
Apple Watch question about cellular
