Apple Watch no sms when away from phone

Can someone help? I have an Apple Watch Ultra 2 cellular and wifi with 02 network.but cannot send or receive sms when away from phone.I’ve spoken to Apple and the carrier and just getting different stories Apple say you can the carrier says you cannot I’m being told I have to leave iMessage on. But I don’t use iMessage the problem when I’m out work sends me a text and I don’t get it they don’t use iMessage everybody I know doesn’t use iMessage but it will send iMessage but it won’t do text when I’m out.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Posted on Mar 4, 2025 11:05 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 4, 2025 4:31 PM

The Apple Watch CANNOT send SMS TEXT messages by itself. The cellular chip in the Apple Watch just does data, but SMS is part of the traditional voice cellular technology, and the Apple Watch does not use that technology, rather it uses Voice over IP (VoIP).


Because of this, the Apple Watch uses iMessage to relay SMS send/receive requests between the Apple Watch and the iPhone under the covers.


So you MUST have BOTH the iPhone and the Apple Watch signed into iMessage using the same Apple ID, or there is no way for the Apple Watch to ask the iPhone to send SMS messages, and there is no way for the iPhone to tell the Apple Watch that an SMS messages has been received.


You do not personally need to use iMessage, but as a transport relay, the iPhone and Apple Watch need it for SMS messages.


The text starting with 2. in my previous reply comes directly from Apple at the bottom of the web page pointed to by the URL in my previous message. I am not making that up, I am just doing a copy & paste.

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 4, 2025 4:31 PM in response to kev975

The Apple Watch CANNOT send SMS TEXT messages by itself. The cellular chip in the Apple Watch just does data, but SMS is part of the traditional voice cellular technology, and the Apple Watch does not use that technology, rather it uses Voice over IP (VoIP).


Because of this, the Apple Watch uses iMessage to relay SMS send/receive requests between the Apple Watch and the iPhone under the covers.


So you MUST have BOTH the iPhone and the Apple Watch signed into iMessage using the same Apple ID, or there is no way for the Apple Watch to ask the iPhone to send SMS messages, and there is no way for the iPhone to tell the Apple Watch that an SMS messages has been received.


You do not personally need to use iMessage, but as a transport relay, the iPhone and Apple Watch need it for SMS messages.


The text starting with 2. in my previous reply comes directly from Apple at the bottom of the web page pointed to by the URL in my previous message. I am not making that up, I am just doing a copy & paste.

Mar 4, 2025 2:09 PM in response to BobHarris

Thanks for your reply, but I don’t think you get what I’m saying. I have no interest in iMessage. I’m not talking about iMessage. I’m talking slowly about SMS Txt. I cannot send or receive sms text all I can do is iMessage which I don’t use. I am not sure what you mean about third-party apps. I’m just using a normal iPhone with with nothing different.

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Apple Watch no sms when away from phone

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