Wi-Fi calling not working on Apple Watch

[snackfiller]

Hello, 

I have an iPhone SE 2020 on EE network and an Apple Watch (Wi-Fi only). I have everything set to enable Wi-Fi calling on my Apple Watch but it doesn’t work. 

Here is my set up on iPhone:

Settings app > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling on this iPhone > ON

Settings app > Phone > Add Wi-Fi Calling for other devices > ON

Watch app > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling > ON

Here’s what I see:

iPhone near and on same network: can make phone call from watch.

iPhone on Airplane mode (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disabled), Apple Watch on Wi-Fi: “Call Failed” when making a call from watch. 

Things I’ve tried:

- signing in and out of iCloud on my phone

- resetting network settings and setting it up again

- restarting devices

- note I’ve never seen this work in the couple of years I’ve owned an iPhone and Apple Watch and been on EE, it’s not a transient issue. 

This feature is specifically designed to work when the watch is not near or connected to the iPhone

Resources: 

https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/offers-and-services/ee-smart-number/one-number

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203032

I’ve seen some people with issues like this talk about EE engineers “reprovisioning” their account or something. Is this something you could look into? Thanks!

[Captgeneralmark]

@snackfiller As far as I’m aware, the scenario you’re describing will only work with a cellular iWatch. A non-cellular watch, such as yours, will only make and receive calls when in range of the phone and the phone isn’t in airplane mode.

[snackfiller]

Nope, see the smart number link. Support devices include MacBooks which don’t have cellular. 

This is an Apple feature - iCloud calling - where even non-cellular Apple devices signed into your iCloud account can partake in WiFi calling when the phone is not nearby (the wording below one of the settings I described as ON, if you wish to check). EE is one of the few networks to support this (“Smart Number”). 

Network support isn’t required for the basic feature of making a call on the watch via a connected iPhone - wouldn’t come here for that. 

[Christopher_G]

Hi @snackfiller

Welcome to the community.

I'd recommend speaking with our Technical Support team. They'll be able to check everything from our side and run through some more troubleshooting with you.

Chris

[snackfiller]

Thanks, I ended up speaking to someone on level 2 tech support who was very helpful and we tried a few things including issuing an update to my network settings. However this didn’t work. 

Interestingly they said there isn’t really anything in their diagnostic guidelines for setting this up for Apple Watch, only for other devices iPad and MacBook. However they could see the same EE web page on smart number page I linked to above saying it’s supported on Apple Watch series 1 up. I’ve also found a few community threads here with people who appear to have had it working before (e.g. @Chris_B on an Series 1?).

IMO there isn’t much advice on it simply because it’s meant to work automatically for Apple Watch unlike other devices that have to be manually enrolled. 

In conclusion I agreed to see Apple about it to see if they can help and level 2 support agreed to look into the matter more to see if their publicity of the feature and internal guidance needs updating or correcting. 

[Chris_B]

@snackfiller   I’ve got it it working on my Apple SE and before that my series 3.     As long as all devices are logged in to the same Apple account it should work. 

[flylotusfly]

Did you get it working? I know it should “just work” but it doesn’t for me either. I’ve an iPhone 6S and the Apple Watch is series 4. When my iPhone is in airplane mode I’ve tested it and I can get my iPad to work with EE smart number technology but not the watch. I do notice that on the iPhone under Phone | Calls on Other Devices it has my iPad listed under the “ALLOW CALLS ON” section but I just can’t get the watch to appear here even though it’s logged into the same Apple ID.

[Chris_B]

@flylotusfly  In the watch app on your iPhone you need to get to PHONE and enable WiFi calling from there, it doesn’t appear in the “calls on other devices” location on your iPhone