Smartwatch FAQ

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

.

: 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.

: With an Unlimited Access plan, users with an Unlimited (smartphone) plan can share endless data across all of their devices with the one plan.

: 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.

: 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.

: 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:

: Standalone plans are not available on Android smartwatches or Android smartphones.

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.

Yes, your smartwatch will work across Canada on the TELUS network with any of our plans.

No. Currently, you cannot roam with your smartwatch.

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.

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.

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.

: 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.

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

device tutorials page

to help you set up your watch.

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:

You can view data usage for your Smartwatch using My TELUS.

To track mobile data with the My TELUS app

To track mobile data with My TELUS:

Canadian devices and some US devices will work on our network. Refer to

What do I need to set up a OneNumber plan on my smartwatch?

or

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.

Please

contact us

for either of the following changes:

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:

Also, please note some health and fitness features depend on the age of the user:

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.

To manage calling features for an Apple Watch on a Standalone plan, select the icon on the watch and then navigate to the settings for . Within those settings you can manage: