Smart watch with eSIM?
Discussion
I have a Samsung S20 phone, I recently bought a Galaxy Watch 5 with the eSIM option so I can leave my phone at home.
I went to see O2 earlier in the week to get an eSIM added to my account and that all seemed fine but I have an issue, O2 say it's just the way it is, the internet seems to disagree, but it's inconclusive, so looking for your experience.
If the phone is switched on and has any sort of internet connection then when I'm out and about I can make calls on my watch and they appear to come from my normal number, I presume the watch is connecting to the phone via the mobile network and the internet and the phone is actually managing the call do either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly.
The watch has its own number and is on the O2 network, but if my phone is off or has no internet then it cannot make our receive calls. I think it should make calls from its own number, O2 say it doesn't work like that, but they didn't really seem to know what's what.
Has anyone got their watch working 'properly' or are O2 right that I have to keep my phone on to relay calls?
Ta
I went to see O2 earlier in the week to get an eSIM added to my account and that all seemed fine but I have an issue, O2 say it's just the way it is, the internet seems to disagree, but it's inconclusive, so looking for your experience.
If the phone is switched on and has any sort of internet connection then when I'm out and about I can make calls on my watch and they appear to come from my normal number, I presume the watch is connecting to the phone via the mobile network and the internet and the phone is actually managing the call do either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly.
The watch has its own number and is on the O2 network, but if my phone is off or has no internet then it cannot make our receive calls. I think it should make calls from its own number, O2 say it doesn't work like that, but they didn't really seem to know what's what.
Has anyone got their watch working 'properly' or are O2 right that I have to keep my phone on to relay calls?
Ta
If you’ve added an e-sim subscription to your watch then the whole idea is you can use it without your phone.
My Apple Watch relies on the phone’s connection unless it’s out of range or properly switched off.
I can’t see why yours shouldn’t be the same.
Edited to add that the e-sim will have its own number but nobody should ever see this. If you get it working and call from the watch, the person you’re calling will see the main number on your contract - or your name will pop up if you’re a contact. The network routing sorts this, the same way if someone calls your number and the phone is switched off, it gets forwarded to the watch’s number.
My Apple Watch relies on the phone’s connection unless it’s out of range or properly switched off.
I can’t see why yours shouldn’t be the same.
Edited to add that the e-sim will have its own number but nobody should ever see this. If you get it working and call from the watch, the person you’re calling will see the main number on your contract - or your name will pop up if you’re a contact. The network routing sorts this, the same way if someone calls your number and the phone is switched off, it gets forwarded to the watch’s number.
Edited by Dolf Stoppard on Thursday 8th September 22:34
Thanks, do you mind testing what comes through on caller ID when you have your phone turned off if you can?
My understanding from reading around is that using your phone number on the watch relies on the phone SIM to act as a relay either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly, but if it can't do that it will then use the Watch's own number so you can still call, just from the 'wrong' number.
My research led me to an O2 community forum issue from a year ago that says O2 need to do something else at their end to turn that bit on, but they're saying they don't. Part of the issue may be that I didn't get the watch from O2, so they're not doing something when they've issued the eSIM that they would have done when supplying their own watch. But it's all so murky I'm not really sure what's right or wrong.
It's a fairly minor thing as it would be rare my phone would be off or offline, but I still want the option if it should be there.
My understanding from reading around is that using your phone number on the watch relies on the phone SIM to act as a relay either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly, but if it can't do that it will then use the Watch's own number so you can still call, just from the 'wrong' number.
My research led me to an O2 community forum issue from a year ago that says O2 need to do something else at their end to turn that bit on, but they're saying they don't. Part of the issue may be that I didn't get the watch from O2, so they're not doing something when they've issued the eSIM that they would have done when supplying their own watch. But it's all so murky I'm not really sure what's right or wrong.
It's a fairly minor thing as it would be rare my phone would be off or offline, but I still want the option if it should be there.
No idea about 02, or on the Android equivalents.
On EE and with an Apple Watch and iPhone, the eSIM that's in the watch is issued a different phone number. However, I assume that's purely for billing/admin purposes. Any calls that are made/received, or texts etc. come from my main mobile number. Even with my phone off entirely.
'Smart number' - https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/offers-and-services...
On EE and with an Apple Watch and iPhone, the eSIM that's in the watch is issued a different phone number. However, I assume that's purely for billing/admin purposes. Any calls that are made/received, or texts etc. come from my main mobile number. Even with my phone off entirely.
'Smart number' - https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/offers-and-services...
Thanks, I guess what's going on there is EE deal with the calls in the background to create the impression that it's all from the same number.
I know O2 don't do that, I don't think anyway. I just put the phone into Flight mode then tried to make a call on the watch using WiFi, the phone lit up with a message asking if I wanted to turn off flight mode to make the call. Flight mode is clearly no longer flight mode, there's still some service listening for I guess Bluetooth requests, but it shows the phone is relaying the calls whether it's online or not.
My guess is there's a setting somewhere on the o2 system that needs to be ticked to allow calls from the number and for them to come off the allowance of the main number. I did find advice to this effect on the o2 forum, but it's 12 months old now.
I guess what I really need is someone that has bought a Galaxy watch from o2 and can make calls without going via the phone to confirm that it's possible so I can gradually chip away at the o2 support until I find someone that knows what to do.
I know O2 don't do that, I don't think anyway. I just put the phone into Flight mode then tried to make a call on the watch using WiFi, the phone lit up with a message asking if I wanted to turn off flight mode to make the call. Flight mode is clearly no longer flight mode, there's still some service listening for I guess Bluetooth requests, but it shows the phone is relaying the calls whether it's online or not.
My guess is there's a setting somewhere on the o2 system that needs to be ticked to allow calls from the number and for them to come off the allowance of the main number. I did find advice to this effect on the o2 forum, but it's 12 months old now.
I guess what I really need is someone that has bought a Galaxy watch from o2 and can make calls without going via the phone to confirm that it's possible so I can gradually chip away at the o2 support until I find someone that knows what to do.
I've got gw4 and a z fold 3 on vodafone.
I've never checked before but just tried flight mode i think helpfully also puts the watch into flight mode hence the watch asks if it can use mobile data.
I then turned the phone off and the watch works fine, makes calls and the id appears to be my normal phone number. Which is how i would expect this to work the watch will have a different number but the network will just mask / change the id. As I do know there is an esim number on my account but that never appears anywhere.
Not sure this helps as i guess you need someone on o2 really to check.
I've never checked before but just tried flight mode i think helpfully also puts the watch into flight mode hence the watch asks if it can use mobile data.
I then turned the phone off and the watch works fine, makes calls and the id appears to be my normal phone number. Which is how i would expect this to work the watch will have a different number but the network will just mask / change the id. As I do know there is an esim number on my account but that never appears anywhere.
Not sure this helps as i guess you need someone on o2 really to check.
paulrockliffe said:
Thanks, do you mind testing what comes through on caller ID when you have your phone turned off if you can?
My understanding from reading around is that using your phone number on the watch relies on the phone SIM to act as a relay either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly, but if it can't do that it will then use the Watch's own number so you can still call, just from the 'wrong' number.
My research led me to an O2 community forum issue from a year ago that says O2 need to do something else at their end to turn that bit on, but they're saying they don't. Part of the issue may be that I didn't get the watch from O2, so they're not doing something when they've issued the eSIM that they would have done when supplying their own watch. But it's all so murky I'm not really sure what's right or wrong.
It's a fairly minor thing as it would be rare my phone would be off or offline, but I still want the option if it should be there.
just tried mine and it comes up as me on the wife’s phone. My understanding from reading around is that using your phone number on the watch relies on the phone SIM to act as a relay either directly or using WiFi calling indirectly, but if it can't do that it will then use the Watch's own number so you can still call, just from the 'wrong' number.
My research led me to an O2 community forum issue from a year ago that says O2 need to do something else at their end to turn that bit on, but they're saying they don't. Part of the issue may be that I didn't get the watch from O2, so they're not doing something when they've issued the eSIM that they would have done when supplying their own watch. But it's all so murky I'm not really sure what's right or wrong.
It's a fairly minor thing as it would be rare my phone would be off or offline, but I still want the option if it should be there.
gmasterfunk said:
I've got gw4 and a z fold 3 on vodafone.
I've never checked before but just tried flight mode i think helpfully also puts the watch into flight mode hence the watch asks if it can use mobile data.
I then turned the phone off and the watch works fine, makes calls and the id appears to be my normal phone number. Which is how i would expect this to work the watch will have a different number but the network will just mask / change the id. As I do know there is an esim number on my account but that never appears anywhere.
Not sure this helps as i guess you need someone on o2 really to check.
Thanks, that's useful to know, but yeah I need to know if o2 are setup properly or fully reliant on the phone being on to relay the call. I suspect it works fine if you buy the watch from them, but if you bring your own watch to them they don't know how to set it up properly. I've never checked before but just tried flight mode i think helpfully also puts the watch into flight mode hence the watch asks if it can use mobile data.
I then turned the phone off and the watch works fine, makes calls and the id appears to be my normal phone number. Which is how i would expect this to work the watch will have a different number but the network will just mask / change the id. As I do know there is an esim number on my account but that never appears anywhere.
Not sure this helps as i guess you need someone on o2 really to check.
It's essentially got a data-only connection at the moment, it's using the data to ask the phone to make the calls for me, which is fine when the phone is on and may never actually be a problem. But if the phone is left somewhere with poor signal, will it work or not? No idea!
It has the name O2 gave the plan when it setup, lists the provider as O2 and gives me an ICCID and an EID, whatever they are.
I can switch the Mobile Network from Auto to On and then I have the option to turn Data on and off, turn Roaming on and off, put it in £g only or 4G/3G, find networks and see that the access Point is o2 Pay Monthly. I can also see that I've used 4mb of data, so there's no issue with actually getting on the network as far as I can see.
I can switch the Mobile Network from Auto to On and then I have the option to turn Data on and off, turn Roaming on and off, put it in £g only or 4G/3G, find networks and see that the access Point is o2 Pay Monthly. I can also see that I've used 4mb of data, so there's no issue with actually getting on the network as far as I can see.
Fairly comprehensive!
Sounds ok. You've exhausted what i can set on minE.
Ive had a quick Google and would look at step 7 onwards, if that doesn't work Id go back to 02
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Tech-Support/Samsung...
Sounds ok. You've exhausted what i can set on minE.
Ive had a quick Google and would look at step 7 onwards, if that doesn't work Id go back to 02
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Tech-Support/Samsung...
Yeah, that's where I ended up, on that webpage. I actually sent it to the last o2 person, who then went away for about 10 minutes before coming back to tell me it doesn't work without the phone being online.
Maybe I just need to keep going with different help people until I find one that can do it.
Maybe I just need to keep going with different help people until I find one that can do it.
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