Can I pair a standalone Apple watch to an iPhone without a cellular plan?

My iPhone service is through Xfinity. I would like to get a standalone Apple watch for my 9yr old daughter (who does not have a cellphone), but Xfinity doesn't offer a standalone watch option. If I pair an Apple watch on their network, it will be connected to my phone number and she will receive all of my texts, etc., which I do NOT want.

T-Mobile DOES offer a standalone option, so I could get a standalone data plan for her there, but it still has to be paired to an iPhone (which again Xfinity will not allow). My question is.. can I pair an Apple watch to a phone that doesn't have a cellular plan? I've received conflicting information about whether this is possible. Since the actual data plan is specific to the watch and provided by T-Mobile, I can see how it might be a possibility. I'd use an old iPhone 11, but it would just sit at my house plugged in and on a Wifi network. We aren't ready to get her a phone, but do really like the idea of her having a watch. I am hoping someone has experience with this scenario and can provide some feedback. Thanks!

**And just to confirm, I can't switch my phone to T-Mobile for another year because we have a year left on our contract.

iPhone 11

Posted on Nov 25, 2023 5:22 PM

Top-ranking reply

ekassos

Level 4

1,430 points

Posted on Nov 25, 2023 5:41 PM

In terms of the hardware you need, two quick notes:

You need an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with cellular,* or Apple Watch SE with cellular, with watchOS 7 or later.
A cellular plan isn't required to set up an Apple Watch for a family member, but is necessary for some features. See Set up Apple Watch for a family member - Apple Support.

Now if you DO want to get the T-Mobile standalone option, you don't need to have the Watch connect on the same network as the iPhone you're setting it up with:

If your carrier doesn't support Family Setup, or you'd like to use a different carrier, select Not Now.* You can choose an alternative carrier from this list of supported carriers and contact them directly to set up your cellular plan.

Set up Apple Watch for a family member - Apple Support

Plus, since all Apple Watches are unlocked, you can most definitely add a T-Mobile plan to the Watch.

So you can either:

Use your iPhone to set up the Apple Watch without cellular.
Use your iPhone to set up the Apple Watch with T-Mobile service. In this case, you might want to look into the $5/mo 500MB Digits Standalone Plan with Auto-Pay from T-Mobile (I have the same as a customer). You will have to contact T-Force (T-Mobile support on Facebook Messenger or X, best support option), chat online, or visit a store to activate this plan, as it isn't available on their website.

Hope this helps and let us know if you still face issues setting this up!

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Can I pair a standalone Apple watch to an iPhone without a cellular plan?

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