Can I use an GPS+Cellular or Ultra model Apple Watch without purchasing a cellular plan?

Owning an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular or Apple Watch Ultra with its own cellular plan adds a lot of versatility to your watch. You can use it without your iPhone (or WiFi) as a standalone device, take it just about anywhere, and still have access to all your apps, including any streaming apps!

If you recently purchased or were gifted an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular, Apple Watch Ultra, or received an older Apple Watch from a family member upgrading theirs, you might wonder if you must buy a cellular plan and if you can use it without getting a data plan.

The good news is that, yes, it is possible to use an Apple Watch Cellular+GPS model or the Apple Watch Ultra without adding a cellular plan!

You only need to activate your Apple Watch’s cellular service if you want to use its cellular features.

These features include: making calls, replying to messages, using Walkie-Talkie, streaming music and podcasts, checking the current weather, using apps that need to update with current information like Maps and Stocks, and receiving notifications when your iPhone isn’t with you.

However, if you intend to use the watch as a standalone device with Apple’s family setup, you must have a cellular plan to use most of the watch’s functions and features.

So for those that purchased or received a GPS+Cellular Apple Watch or the Apple Watch Ultra, this article outlines what makes this version so different and answers many questions about how this Apple Watch model works.

Keep reading to learn more.

Suggested reading:

What is a GPS+Cellular (LTE) Apple Watch?

The GPS+Cellular Apple Watch is the Apple Watch model that can have a cellular service plan. That is because a cellular radio and eSIM card are installed inside the Apple Watch. 

The main difference between an Apple Watch with cellular versus an Apple Watch without cellular is that with the Apple Watch GPS+Cellular model, you can call, text, and use data without a connected iPhone or WiFi access nearby.

The Apple Watch GPS+Cellular can work independently from your iPhone, while the Apple Watch GPS must use your iPhone or WiFi to access data.

So if you want to leave your iPhone at home and still make or answer calls, send or read current text messages, or stream music and podcast, you want a cellular plan.

If these things aren’t necessary or you are rarely away from your iPhone, a cellular plan probably isn’t necessary for your Apple Watch.

How do you know if your Apple Watch is a cellular model (LTE)?

If a family or friend gifted you one of their older Apple Watches and you (or they) aren’t sure what model it is, it’s easy to check!

Take a look at your Apple Watch’s Digital Crown. If it’s outlined or filled in red, then it’s a cellular model. If you don’t see any red on the Digital Crown, it’s a GPS-only model.

All Apple Watch Ultras are cellular models–the cellular eSIM is built into every Apple Watch Ultra, so if you have an Ultra, your watch always supports adding a cellular service plan.

To find exact Apple Watch model information, check the following:

1. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab, then tap General > About.
3. Locate the Model information that begins with the letter M and tap it.
4. You see a

   five-digit model number that starts with the letter A

   . That is your model number. 

Is a cellular data plan included in the price of a GPS+Cellular Apple Watch or Apple Watch Ultra?

No. The data plan for the GPS+Cellular or Ultra Apple Watch is not already included in the purchase price. The data plan is an extra monthly expense. A data plan for an Apple Watch costs around $10 a month and is available from various cellular service providers.

If you can afford $120/year for cellular service, you can take your Apple Watch iPhone-free and WiFi-free and still get all your important calls and texts, plus stream music, podcasts, and more all on the go!

Do GPS+Cellular or Ultra Apple Watches 

their own cellular data plan?

No! An Apple Watch GPS+Cellular or Ultra does not need to have a data plan to work for you. You can use a cellular Apple Watch without buying a cellular carrier’s cellular plan!

If you don’t sign up for a cellular plan on your cellular version, you can use your watch like the GPS-only model. All you need is your iPhone near your Apple Watch or connect your Apple Watch to WiFi.

Plus, many features on the Apple Watch do not require cellular data at all.

And, of course, you can still use the watch offline without an iPhone nearby or WiFi when working out to track your exercise stats or listen to any downloaded music or podcasts downloaded to the watch.

But if you want to use apps requiring internet access, you’ll need to connect your Apple Watch to WiFi or have your paired iPhone nearby.

If you don’t want to carry your iPhone or have WiFi, then adding a cellular plan may be a good option.

What features won’t work if I don’t purchase a cellular data plan for my Apple Watch and my iPhone or WiFi isn’t nearby?

When your iPhone isn’t nearby, or a WiFi connection isn’t available, your Apple Watch is quite limited without a cellular plan.

These features won’t work if your watch is away from your iPhone or not connected to WiFi: Siri, iMessage, Phone Calls, Weather, Stocks, Home Control, Find Your Friends, Reminders, Podcasts, Apple Music streaming, Walkie Talkie, etc. Basically, any app that requires an internet connection won’t work.

However, you do not need a mobile data plan for these apps to work. All you have to do is pair your Apple Watch to your nearby iPhone or connect your watch to WiFi.

Can I still send text messages from my Apple Watch if I don’t purchase a data plan?

Yes! As long as your iPhone is nearby or your Apple Watch is connected to WiFi, you can send and receive text messages using your Apple Watch.

Do I need to activate the data plan?

If you want the data plan on your Apple Watch, then yes. You won’t start paying for the service unit you activate the service.

If you do not want the data plan on the Apple Watch, then no. Your Apple Watch will still work just fine. All you need to do is keep your iPhone nearby or connect the Apple Watch to WiFi.

Can I use an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular without pairing it to an iPhone?

You can use an Apple Watch cellular model (Series 4 and above) if you don’t have an iPhone as long as an organizer or parent/guardian in your family sharing plan has an iPhone.

Apple calls this standalone option Family Setup. It allows a family organizer or parent/guardian with an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch for children or older adults in their family sharing group.

With Apple’s family setup, the watch connects to its own cellular data plan and gets its own mobile service, phone number, and account. Not all carriers support family setup data plans–see this Apple document to learn what carriers work.

To use an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular without a paired iPhone, your family member (organizer or parent) with an iPhone must first set up that watch as a standalone device using their iPhone. Once your watch is set up, you can use it!

However, Apple does disable some features for watches in Family Setup, including health data sharing, respiratory rate, irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG, Cycle Tracking, Sleep, Blood Oxygen, Podcasts, Remote, News, Home, Shortcuts, and Apple Pay using a credit, debit, or transit card in the Wallet app.

Can I use a different carrier for my Apple Watch’s cellular data plan?

Your iPhone and Apple Watch GPS+Cellular or Ultra must use the same carrier.

However, if you set up an Apple Watch GPS+Cellular model for a family member using Apple’s family setup, that watch can use a different carrier than your iPhone.

Does my Apple Watch GPS+Cellular have a different phone number than my iPhone?

If you activate a cellular plan on your Apple Watch GPS+Cellular, your paired iPhone’s number is shared with your Apple Watch. Although you see a different phone number for your Apple Watch in your watch’s settings, this number is for billing purposes.

Starting with iOS 14 and watchOS 7, you can also set up GPS+Cellular Apple Watches in standalone mode using Family Setup–that doesn’t require a paired iPhone. Standalone Apple Watches get their phone number since they are not paired with an iPhone.

Any Apple Watch setup with Family Setup does not share the phone number of the iPhone used to set it up.

To see the phone number(s) assigned to your family’s Apple Watch(s) after setting up cellular service, go to Settings on the watch, then tap Phone.

What are the differences between the GPS+Cellular Apple Watch and GPS-only Apple Watch?

Each series of the Apple Watch comes out with a cellular version and a GPS-only version. The LTE Apple Watch is the cellular data version.

Because the cellular Apple Watch has a cellular radio and eSIM card installed, this model is slightly more expensive than the GPS-only model.

The only difference between the GPS+Cellular and GPS-only Apple Watch is that the GPS+Cellular Apple Watch can have its own cellular data plan.

The Apple Watch GPS (WiFi only) model is also a bit less expensive, weighs less, and provides a longer battery life (because there’s no cellular chip.)

Can I add a data plan to a GPS-only Apple Watch?

No. Since the GPS-only Apple Watch model does not have a cellular radio or eSIM installed, it is impossible to add a data plan to this model.

Can a cellular Apple Watch have a different mobile carrier than an iPhone?

If you want a cellular plan on your Apple Watch, you normally need your cellular Apple Watch and iPhone to use the same mobile carrier.

And frankly, staying with the same carrier is the best option since you sign in with the same Apple ID across both devices, and all phone calls, notifications, and SMS texts show up on the watch as well.

But some carriers still don’t support the Apple Watch. In that case, there is a workaround if you set up your Apple Watch using Apple’s family setup for Apple Watch (also called standalone mode.)

This is Apple’s option for people to use an Apple Watch without a paired iPhone. 

If you go this route, you’ll need to set up the watch with a different Apple ID, as if it’s for a member of your Apple family plan that doesn’t have an iPhone.

That also means that your Apple Watch will have a different phone number than your iPhone, so any phone calls, SMS texts, or notifications on your iPhone will not route to your watch. However, you can call and text independently on the Watch (just remember, it has a different number than your iPhone.)

And there is some limitation on which apps and watch features you can use on a standalone Apple Watch, including:

Features you cannot use in Apple Watch Standalone Mode (Family Setup):

Health data sharing, respiratory rate, Medications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG, AFib History, Cycle Tracking, Sleep, Wrist Temperature, Blood Oxygen, Audiobooks, Remote, News, Home, Apple Pay, and Shortcuts.

Features with limitations in Apple Watch Standalone Mode (Family Setup):

• Apple Limits high and low heart rate notifications to users 13 and older and Heart Rate Variability (HRV,) Walking steadiness, and fall detection for users 18 and older. 
• Users under 13 can use move minutes, rather than active calories, for their Move goal in the Activity app.
• Apple Cash Family is available to users under the age of 18 (United States only).

Summary

If you end up with a GPS+Cellular Apple Watch, there’s no need to sweat. It works just the same as any other Apple Watch.

The only differences are that you can add a data plan to it, and you do not need to have your iPhone nearby to use some apps and services.

But other than that, there is no real difference between the two model types. If you have any other questions about your Apple Watch, feel free to contact us in the comments below!