Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. For more information, please visit our Disclaimer Page.
The Apple Watch is the name given to a complete line of smartwatches that the company began producing in 2015. Since then, Apple has released several generations or series that feature updates to the software and improvements to the watch’s features.
As with any other Apple product, this smartwatch uses the iOS operating system that most mobile devices from the business run on. As a watch, the unit can perform the basic functions of any timepiece, but the smart capabilities allow it to incorporate functions that relate to fitness tracking, other health goals, and connectivity with different Apple devices you may own.
Along with all of this, some new owners or people considering adding the Apple Watch to their repertoire wonder about some of the logistics of the device. Namely, we will cover topics that relate to the data your new watch might use, and we will go into the possible costs that add to your current plan because of these new features.
As we go along, we will discuss whether you need a whole separate line just to support the Apple Watch, if adding the device to your collection also adds to your phone bill, and if the cellular version of the unit uses the data on your existing phone plan. To wrap things up, we can also talk about whether Apple Watch devices use their own numbers that are separate from your iPhone, and we will go into detail about how you might add a payment plan for Apple Watch cellular versions.
Table of Contents
Do I Need a Separate Line for the Apple Watch?
No, you do not need a separate line for the Apple Watch to work properly. Before we get deeper into the data functions that an Apple Watch can support, it is a good idea to go over some of the facts that relate to the different versions you can get. Not all Apple Watch varieties support the use of data on their own.
They should be able to connect to your iPhone via Bluetooth. If you connect your Apple Watch in this way, it will use the Bluetooth connectivity option to send and receive data thanks to the phone itself. Therefore, it will not need to have its own line or plan at all.
Similarly, you can also pair the watch with your iPhone through a Wi-Fi network. Your Apple Watch uses smart technology in order to choose the best option to fit the situation. For example, if your iPhone is near enough to your watch, and if the Bluetooth feature is active for each one, the watch should pair with the phone thanks to Bluetooth.
However, there could be times that you don’t have the two units close enough to each other to facilitate such a connection. In these cases, your watch will make the decision to switch to an active Wi-Fi network instead. For this to work, the Wi-Fi network in question must be something that is compatible with your Apple Watch, and the device will need to pass the appropriate security checks as well.
Finally, if you have a cellular-capable version of the watch, and if you have an active data plan, you can connect your two devices with each other that way.
In any of these cases, you don’t need a separate line just to use the Apple Watch. You do need to be able to pair the watch with your phone in at least one of these ways, however. If you aren’t able to do so, there could be limits to the functions that the watch has available for you at the time. However, the watch uses the data and number of your iPhone’s already existing plan to offer the full list of features it can perform for you.
Does Adding an Apple Watch Increase Your Phone Bill?
Any non-cellular version of the Apple Watch should not add anything to your monthly bill. The answer here assumes that you either have unlimited data for your iPhone’s plan.
Even if you do not have an unlimited plan, the use of the watch should not add anything to your bill unless it happens to go over the data limits along with your phone.Apple Watch models that do not support cellular connections need either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in order to activate their full features, and the device will just use whatever data it can from the phone itself.
However, you can get a watch that Apple developed in order to have its own cellular support and data plan. Before we continue with this topic, we should mention that different providers or different regions may offer cellular plans for the watch at various rates.
Essentially, this means that there is not a clear way to calculate precisely how much more you might pay on top of your existing bill if you add cellular support for the smartwatch. It is true that there should be some increase in your costs per month, though.
You will need to make sure that your watch and phone both have the latest versions of the iOS installed before you begin the setup process for adding data to the cellular smartwatch. Also, Apple users should be aware that you must purchase the cellular-capable watch to add a plan that has its own data.
You cannot get one of the other versions of the watch and decide to add data to it for a cellular connection later. Once you set up your watch, you should have a special app just for it that downloads to your iPhone. If you are ready to add a plan or data capabilities to the watch, just open the app, go to the appropriate section, and follow the instructions to get everything started.
Does Apple Watch Cellular Use Your Phone Data?
In most cases, the cellular version of the watch should use your phone data. You still need to purchase the appropriate model of smartwatch in the Apple line in order for you to take advantage of this feature.
It is also important to note that there could be a flat rate that acts as an additional charge to allow your smartwatch to use your phone’s data. The precise rates for this may vary according to the offers different networks in your area may carry.
However, you can also opt to activate a cellular Apple Watch through Family Setup. This special version of the smartwatch plan does use its own number and data. The reason for this has to do with convenience and logistics. Under the Family Setup rules, you can add a member’s watch to a network with its own plan.
This frees the smartwatch from the need to be near your iPhone in order to take advantage of the features it can access via a cellular network. Therefore, instead of using your own number or data plan, the family member in question would get their own.
Can My Apple Watch Have Its Own Number?
Yes, it is possible for your smartwatch from Apple to have its own number. This topic relates back to our previous one in some ways, but it may be important for readers to understand how their cell phone bills will break down once they add support for their Apple Watches.
Technically, each cellular Apple Watch should have its own number that it gets upon activation of the service. However, in practice, the smartwatch should take on the number that your iPhone uses already.
For billing purposes, you should see a separate line that is for your Apple Watch. This item should also include a unique phone number that is part of the smartwatch.
While the watch should share your iPhone’s number for any of the cellular features that you wish to activate, the true number attached to the smartwatch acts as a sort of identification code for billing purposes. It is here that you can see whatever monetary amount the service for your Apple Watch might add to your existing bill.
Do You Have To Pay Separately for Apple Watch Cellular?
You might have to pay a separate fee to use the Apple Watch cellular version. However, this depends on how you would like the phone to function. You still have the option to use all the features of the smartwatch only when it is near to the phone or an open Wi-Fi network.
Thanks to the capabilities of the cellular version of the watch, you can use it independently and away from the iPhone with which you pair it. If you would like to use your watch as a substitute for your iPhone, perhaps leaving the latter behind, you will need to add the subscription fee for the watch.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch gives fans of the brand more freedom and flexibility to use their iPhones in different ways. It also gives them the option to leave their phones at home for a while, although they need to purchase a particular version of the watch and set up the support for it in order to enjoy this scenario. In most cases, the watch can use the data from your existing plan, but it will need either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi access to be fully functional here.