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Smartwatch FAQ
Everything you need to know about setting up and using your smartwatch.
OneNumber plans enable your smartphone and smartwatch to share the same phone number. This will allow you to seamlessly switch between your smartphone and smartwatch. When you receive a phone call both your smartphone and smartwatch will ring at the same time.
Standalone plans give your smartwatch its own phone number. This enables your smartwatches to operate independently of your smartphone. When a smartwatch is activated with a standalone plan it will operate using its own voice and text services. Data services are billed and shared based on the rate plan selected. Standalone plans are only available on compatible Apple Watch devices utilizing Apple Family setup. See the .
list of compatible devices
Note
: Standalone plans are available for consumer accounts only and are not offered to business customers.One of the rate plans listed below must be added to your smartwatch in order for it to connect to the TELUS network.
OneNumber
OneNumber Unlimited Access
: With an Unlimited Access plan, users with an Unlimited (smartphone) plan can share endless data across all of their devices with the one plan.OneNumber 1GB smartwatch
: With this plan, you can share data with another subscriber on a TELUS Simple Share or legacy share plan on the same account. The plan includes 1GB of data, which will be pooled with your smartphone data bucket.Standalone (only available on Apple Watch with Family Setup)
Standalone Unlimited Access
: With an Unlimited Access plan, users with an Unlimited (smartphone) plan can share endless data across all of their devices with the one plan. You will receive a separate phone number and also get access to separate voice services on your smartwatch.Standalone 1GB smartwatch
: With this plan, you can share data with another subscriber on a TELUS Simple Share or legacy share plan on the same account. The plan includes 1GB of data, which will be pooled with your smartphone data bucket. You will receive a separate phone number and also get access to separate voice services on your smartwatch.Your smartphone must be connected to the TELUS network with VoLTE coverage on a postpaid account with a TELUS self-serve profile. If you already have a cellular smartwatch you'd like to use with TELUS, check the lists of compatible devices below to see if your smartwatch is supported by our network:
Apple
- iPhone 6s and up (SE included) with the latest software version
- Apple Watch 3 and up with cellular capability and the latest software version
- Note: Most US models should work, butare incompatible with our Canadian network setupgrey market models
Google Pixel
- A phone running Android 8 or later
- An LTE Google Pixel Watch
- Note:won’t work due to software and firmware differences making them incompatible with our local network setup.Grey market models
Samsung
- VoLTE-enabled Samsung Galaxy S6 or a newer smartphone running the latest Android OS
- Galaxy Watch with cellular capability and the latest software updates
- Note:won’t work due to software and firmware differences making them incompatible with our local network setupGrey market models
- Apple Watch Series 4 or later with cellular, or Apple Watch SE with cellular running watchOS 7.4 or later
- iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14.5 or later (iPhone is only required for the initial setup and any future software updates)
- The latest carrier bundle version
Note
: Standalone plans are not available on Android smartwatches or Android smartphones.- iPhone must be connected to the TELUS network on a postpaid account with a My TELUS profile
- Your own Apple ID and one for the family member who will use the Apple Watch.Note: Your Apple ID needs to have two-factor authentication turned on
- A Family Sharing Setup that includes the person who'll use the Apple Watch. To set up an Apple Watch for a family member, you need to have the role of an organizer or parent/guardian
The Apple Family Setup allows an iPhone user to pair up an Apple Watch for a family member that may not own an iPhone of their own. This setup gives the Apple Watch user the ability to use the watch to make/receive calls and send/receive messages and data using their own phone number that is independent from the iPhone. The iPhone user can still manage some features of the family member’s watch using the Apple Watch app on their iPhone.
- Each postpaid iPhone user can add up to 5 watches in Standalone mode and 5 watches in OneNumber mode, for a total of 10 watches linked to 1 iPhone.
- Postpaid Samsung watch users can only add up to 5 watches in OneNumber mode to a Samsung smartphone.
- Postpaid Google Pixel watch users can only add up to 5 watches in OneNumber mode to an Android smartphone.
- If more than one compatible smartphone is on an account, each device is eligible to add multiple watches.
- All watches, regardless of the mode, will be billed separately on the invoice, according to the rate plan used by the watch.
- The number of devices purchased leveraging TELUS Easy Payment® is subject to approved credit.
Yes, your smartwatch will work across Canada on the TELUS network with any of our plans.
No. Currently, you cannot roam with your smartwatch.
Travelling with a OneNumber plan
If you have a smartwatch on a OneNumber plan, you can continue to use it with Bluetooth enabled to make and receive calls, and send and receive text messages. Travelling with a Standalone plan
If you have a smartwatch on a Standalone plan, you can continue to use it with Wi-Fi. Please note, when outside Canada, your smartwatch will not allow Wi-Fi calling or messaging. Only iMessage and Facetime Audio will be available.OneNumber
Yes, if your smartwatch is on a OneNumber plan and is connected to a cellular network or Wi-Fi, your watch can do everything that it normally does, even if your smartphone isn't nearby. Note
: For both the Apple Watch & Samsung Galaxy watches, your paired smartphones must be powered on and connected to either Wi-Fi or the TELUS network in order to send or receive SMS/MMS. You can, however, still make/receive calls from the smartwatches when the smartphone is turned off. Additionally, for Samsung users, you will need to have a Samsung account active on the smartphone for SMS/MMS to work.Standalone
Yes, if your smartwatch is on a Standalone plan and is connected to a cellular network or Wi-Fi, your watch can do everything it normally does and does not need to be near the iPhone you use to initially pair and set up the Apple Watch. Read more on how to use your Apple Watch without your iPhone nearby
Visit our to help you set up your watch.
device tutorials page
To find the phone number for your smartwatch on a Standalone plan, there are a few options depending on whether you have the watch nearby or not:
- On the Apple Watch, go toSettings>Phone. The phone number will show up above “My number”
- On the iPhone used to initially pair and set up the Apple Watch, go to the watch app and connect to the watch you would like to know the phone number of. The watch must be within normal Bluetooth range of the iPhone (approximately 33 feet or 10 meters). Go toCellularand select theisymbol next to the TELUS cellular plan. SelectManage TELUS account. The phone number will appear under “About”
- Log in to your My TELUS account and under the “Plans & devices” page you can find all of the subscribers on the account
You can view data usage for your Smartwatch using My TELUS.
To track mobile data with the My TELUS app
- Download and log in to theMy TELUS app
- Data usage highlights appear on theOverviewscreen
- Select theUsagetab for a detailed breakdown of your account’s usage
To track mobile data with My TELUS:
- Log in toMy TELUS
- Select theUsagetab for a detailed breakdown of your account’s usage
Canadian devices and some US devices will work on our network. Refer to or
What do I need to set up a OneNumber plan on my smartwatch?
What do I need to set up a Standalone plan on my smartwatch?
Grey market devices will most often not work. Grey market devices are smartphones, watches and tablets that were manufactured for sale and distribution for a country other than Canada. While they might look similar to Canadian models, they are not designed to work on our network due to different hardware specifications and incompatible software configurations. These devices can be purchased and imported directly by individuals, or they might end up in Canada through private sales or third-party retailers.
The key difference lies in how these devices are made. Manufacturers tailor both the hardware and software to meet the specific requirements of different countries, local networks and carriers. This means grey market devices often use different radio frequencies and software that are not compatible with our network.
Due to these variations, grey market devices often can't be activated on our network. Even if they seem to work initially, you might experience issues with call quality, data speeds or even the ability to connect at all. Therefore, we cannot guarantee their functionality or provide support for them. To ensure the best experience, we recommend using devices specifically designed for the Canadian market.
If you’d like to hand down an Apple Watch currently on a OneNumber plan to a Family member to use with a Standalone plan, please .
contact us
If you’d like to hand down an Apple Watch currently on a OneNumber plan to a Family member to use on a OneNumber plan, please check whether you have a device balance remaining.
- If you have a device balance remaining and the new user is on the same billing account number (BAN), please contact TELUS to have the watch transferred to your family member
- If you have a device balance remaining and the new user is not on the same BAN, you will have to pay off your device balance first. Please contact TELUS to complete this step and then have the watch transferred to your family member
- If you do not have a device balance remaining, unpair the Apple Watch from the old phone and selectRemove plan. Then, pair the Apple Watch to your family member’s phone
Please for either of the following changes:
contact us
- Switching from a OneNumber to a Standalone plan
- Switching from a Standalone to a OneNumber plan
Using their smartwatch in Family Setup, your family member can connect with family and friends through phone calls and Messages, stay motivated to reach personalized Activity goals, express themselves through custom Memojis, and enjoy features that give them more independence like Maps, Siri, Alarms, and the App Store. Family Setup also makes it possible for kids and older family members to benefit from powerful safety tools like Emergency SOS, and parents are able to reach their child and identify their location while knowing all personal data is securely encrypted.
Please note that some Apple Watch features depend on having a companion iPhone, and aren't available on an Apple Watch that you pair using Family Setup. The following features and apps are not available:
- Irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG, Cycle Tracking, Sleep, Blood Oxygen, Podcasts, Remote, News, Home and Shortcuts
- Apple Pay using a credit, debit or transit card in the Wallet app is not available with Family Setup
- The TELUS SmartHome Apple Watch app is not available with Family Setup - only on a smartwatch with OneNumber
Also, please note some health and fitness features depend on the age of the user:
- High and low heart rate notifications are available for users 13 and older
- Fall detection is available for users 18 and older
- Users under the age of 13 can use move minutes, rather than active calories, for their Move goal in the Activity app
OneNumber
To manage calling features for a smartwatch on a OneNumber plan, use the settings on your smartphone. Your OneNumber plan allows your smartwatch to use the mobile number and features of the primary device as its own.Standalone
To manage calling features for an Apple Watch on a Standalone plan, select the Settings
icon on the watch and then navigate to the settings for Phone
. Within those settings you can manage:- Call Forwarding
- Call Waiting
- Show Caller ID
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