topic Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch in Apple Devices

Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 08:29:30 GMT

Hi guys.

Just wanting a bit of advice please.

I'm due to get a new iPhone and a new Apple Watch on Friday. The Apple Watch I currently have, has a data plan on it which I get free due to the sim only plan I have on my iPhone.

What I am wanting to do is keep this free plan, and then when I am setting the new Apple Watch up (which I would be doing after I had first set the new iPhone up) it would see this data plan and just keep using it. I seem to remember reading on here that you get the option when unpairing the old Apple Watch, to keep or remove the data plan.

I wouldn't want to remove the plan/or add a new plan in case this charged me, as I assume it's only one data plan that you get free.

Is what I am wanting to do possible, and if so, what is the easiest and best way to do it for a trouble free setup.

Thanks in advance 😀

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Chris_B — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 09:22:55 GMT

@Fatboy71 Hi. Are you getting the phone from EE and is that a new contract that includes watch data or are you getting the phone from elsewhere and its your current tariff. If it’s the current plan you just unpair the old watch keeping the current tariff and setup the new watch and you get the option to add the watch plan.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:51:28 GMT

Hi @Chris_B

I am getting the phone and the Apple Watch from Apple.

The sim only plan that I use on my iPhone is one that I took out April 2025.

Or that's good to hear that I can just unpair the old Apple Watch, and the new watch will detect that there is already a plan there and add it/use it.

Thanks for the help, appreciate it.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

WelshGeezer — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:22:48 GMT

I’m in the same position. I ordered an Apple Watch Ultra 4 direct from Apple and it’s due to be delivered on Friday.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the above information supplied by @Chris_B is only valid when purchasing the Watch direct via EE.

Research tells me that my existing watch plan cannot be transferred without first contacting support and having them update the EID. Otherwise, an error is given and the plan will not work. Is this still the case?

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Alex_H — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:45:29 GMT

Hi @WelshGeezer,

Thanks for visiting the EE Community

Yes with watches purchased directly the new watch EID is automatically updated on your plan so the transfer option should work without issue. With indirect plans we wont have the new EID so the transfer option wont always be able to complete successfully and if not you will get an error code advising to call us.

At which point like you say just call us with the error code and new EID and one of our guides will get the plan updated to the new watch.

Alex

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

chistery — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:53:32 GMT

I would set up your new phone, and migrate the old watch over, then backup and remove the old watch, add the new watch and restore from backup. Once it's working and in sync, as @Alex_H says, contact EE with your new EID and get the eSIM sorted.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:35:38 GMT

Thanks for the help everyone, it's much appreciated.

I never knew about that @Alex_H about Apple Watches purchased from elsewhere about the EID having to be manually updated. At least now I know what I need to ask for when I call, if it fails to complete. If I am instructed to add new plan on the call, I will point out that I get the data plan for free, because of the sim only plan (all rounder iPhone) I have on my iPhone and I would get them to confirm that I would not be charged for this new data plan.

I will update this thread with what I needed to do, after Friday.

Thanks again 🙂

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

WelshGeezer — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:36:05 GMT

My watch arrived this morning and, as expected, I received Error 003 when attempting to restore my plan. I called 150 and spoke with William, who took my EID details and successfully restored the watch plan.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:51:25 GMT

@WelshGeezer wrote:
My watch arrived this morning and, as expected, I received Error 003 when attempting to restore my plan. I called 150 and spoke with William, who took my EID details and successfully restored the watch plan.

Thanks for the update @WelshGeezer did you get your Apple Watch from EE or from Apple ?

My iPhone and Apple Watch arrived and I'm shortly going to set them both up. I'll be sure to mention about updating the EID number off of the new Apple Watch, to apply it to my plan/restored plan when calling EE, as I'm assuming I'll get the same error you did.

One quick question @WelshGeezer. Did the plan you had, have the 5G+ add on, and does it show this in the add ons when restored (after you called EE) ?

It's just I seem to remember last year, some people were not able to access 5G on their Apple Watch, because the 5G+/5G Standalone add on had not been added on to the watch/data plan.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

WelshGeezer — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:26:16 GMT

@Fatboy71 wrote:
Thanks for the update @WelshGeezer did you get your Apple Watch from EE or from Apple ?

I purchased my Ultra 4 direct from Apple.

@Fatboy71 wrote:
One quick question @WelshGeezer. Did the plan you had, have the 5G+ add on, and does it show this in the add ons when restored (after you called EE) ?
It's just I seem to remember last year, some people were not able to access 5G on their Apple Watch, because the 5G+/5G Standalone add on had not been added on to the watch/data plan.

When I originally purchased my plan, there was no 5G add-on available. I remember reading about it at the time and checking the add-ons for my watch, but there was no 5G option listed. As I was using an Ultra 2, which did not support 5G, I did not pursue it any further. However, while doing some research last night, I logged into my account and checked again. This time, 5G+ was listed as an add-on, so it appears to have been added automatically at some point.

First thing I did when testing my watch was to confirm 5G was working.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:42:07 GMT

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

I'll be sure to ask as well if the 5G add on has transferred over from my restored plan, before the call is ended, just to make sure.

I don't have 5G Standalone/5G+ coverage at my home address, but do travel to places nearby that have it.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:21:07 GMT

Got off the telephone about an hour ago and got my plan moved over. I to got the error 003 @WelshGeezer

The lady who dealt with my call took the new EID number, and done something at her end, and then asked me to re-add the plan. I then got the may take 4 hours to activate (or words to that affect). Less than 30 minutes later the plan was working again, and shows the same telephone number associated with it (in My EE) as when it was on my last Apple Watch.

I asked if the 5G+ add on would move over with the plan, and she said it would, plus she also told me that all the Apple Watch data plans now are 5G+ as standard. And when I checked in My EE, I still see the 5G+ listed in the add-ons still.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

WelshGeezer — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:27:21 GMT

Great news @Fatboy71

No idea why it isn’t an automatic process after all these years still, but credit where credit is due: EE customer service was excellent, and they immediately understood my situation and implemented the change there and then. 👌🏻

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:36:32 GMT

Totally agree, should be automatic or at the least, possible to do it through the Watch app.

I had to wait around 20 minutes for someone to answer my call, but to be honest this is what I was expecting with the new iPhones and Apple Watches just being released today. I initially got through to one lady at customer service, and I explained what I was wanting to do, and after a short delay on hold she put me through to someone in the Plymouth call centre, and she was the one who done the necessary.

Overall I was impressed with the customer service, and getting the issue sorted out on the first telephone call. I know in the past when I have contacted them with the same issue, I have sometimes needed to call back more than once to get it sorted.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

WelshGeezer — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:52:31 GMT

When I dialled 150, I went through to accounts or something similar. I was on hold for about 5 minutes, give or take. I explained and was quickly transferred over to William, who was also located in Plymouth. I was only chatting to an advisor for roughly 2–3 minutes. The longest part of the call was reading out the EID lol.

First time I have ever had to speak to CS, no complaints from me. 👍🏻

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

chistery — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:55:33 GMT

I did the visual service thing, and entered the EID on the form so when I got the callback, they had it to hand, and didn't have to read it out.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:58:06 GMT

@chistery wrote:
I did the visual service thing, and entered the EID on the form so when I got the callback, they had it to hand, and didn't have to read it out.

Wow, what a great idea, never thought of that. I can remember hearing the prompt for the visual service thing, but was unsure what it was, so I just ended up speaking to someone.

I will have to remember that for the next time I need to do this.

Re: Getting a new iPhone & Apple Watch want to use data plan off old Apple Watch

Fatboy71 — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 20:01:23 GMT

@WelshGeezer wrote:
When I dialled 150, I went through to accounts or something similar. I was on hold for about 5 minutes, give or take. I explained and was quickly transferred over to William, who was also located in Plymouth. I was only chatting to an advisor for roughly 2–3 minutes. The longest part of the call was reading out the EID lol.

First time I have ever had to speak to CS, no complaints from me. 👍🏻

Yes the EID is such a long number. When I was on the telephone and reading it out, my other half was looking at me in disbelief that the number was so long lol.