topic Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ? in Other phones & Devices

Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

tetstb — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:18:46 GMT

I have a monthly rolling mobile and a paired Apple Watch , I travel a lot to the USA and the roaming costs are not economical so I want to cancel my mobile but keep my watch and port my mobile to a more favourable roaming provider. Is this possible ?

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

Chris_B — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:04:30 GMT

@tetstb No it’s not possible. You can’t have a phone and a watch on different networks. The watch is linked at account level so when someone calls your phone the watch will ring

You can however call customer support and request to be changed to a tariff that allows calling in the US. Just don’t request an upgrade request a change of tariff.

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

tetstb — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:30:30 GMT

Thanks but the roaming costs are just beyond what I’m prepared to pay.

My voice line is monthly rolling so I can’t see how they can stop me from cancelling that and just retaining the watch that has its own 4GB plan

Thanks for your response.
Sent from my iPhone

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

Chris_B — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:26:59 GMT

@tetstb The watch will not work when your phone rings when using cellular data on the watch if you don’t have the phone with you. It will still work via Bluetooth.

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

tetstb — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:30 GMT

Not bothered about using the watch as a phone replacement, never use it that way anyway but I knew that would be the case.

Just as long as the watch continues to report and track heath data to my phone is all I care about.

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

garybs29 — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:48:27 GMT

@tetstb Have you checked the price of a full works sim plan? Would give you the roaming you want, the watch sim free & an extra benefit too

Re: Do I need a valid SIM contract to keep my paired watch plan ?

Chris_B — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:08:22 GMT

@garybs29 Only if the current watch isn’t still being paid for as part of a contract, which @tetstb states is as it has a 4Gb data allowance and you get that when it’s still being paid for as it’s a contract.

All they would get is unlimited data allowance for the watch as the contract still has to be paid for.