Apple Watch won’t connect to cellular data

I couldn’t connect my Apple Watch to cellular data, even though I had an active line on my Verizon plan for the watch specifically. I found out how to make it work and wanted to post -

the watch needs its own Apple ID. So you need to set the watch up as a “family member” since it will have its own phone number.

if you try to set it up under your phones Apple ID it will not connect the cellular data. I don’t think this is a known issue to the advisors so they won’t know how to help if you call lol.

Posted on Sep 22, 2026 5:14 PM

1 reply

brbo

Level 8 (45,179 points)

Sep 22, 2026 5:45 PM in response to Jessicaiswonderingggg

Re: "Apple Watch won’t connect to cellular data : I couldn’t connect my Apple Watch to cellular data, even though I had an active line on my Verizon plan for the watch specifically. I found out how to make it work and wanted to post - "

Thank you kindly for sharing your valuable experience, and your solution, with us ... here in the community.

This linked article contains Apple Support's suggestions: Set up cellular on Apple Watch

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Re: "I don’t think this is a known issue to the advisors so they won’t know how to help if you call"

Apple welcomes feedback, and provides a Feedback support website for our communication to those who work behind-the-scenes at Apple.

If you would like to send feedback, you could include a link to this discussion. They will likely not reply, yet all feedback is carefully read and logged. If others report a similar issue with connecting Watch to cellular data, there may be an update the addresses it.

Web-form for Watch feedback: Feedback - Watch - Apple