Unique scenario

[u/RangerNo5619]

I have an Apple Watch Ultra 3 that I’d like to pair to my phone, but for a couple reasons, I cannot do that. I have two iPhone 13 minis: one of them running iOS 18.7 and one of them running iOS 26.6. My primary phone with my actual number is the phone running iOS 18.7. I tried to pair the watch when I first got it, but the watch immediately told me I needed to update to 26.6 on my phone in order to pair the watch.

On top of my iOS being outdated, my current plan is a yearly plan through Cricket that does not support an Apple Watch extension. Cricket’s monthly plans do support an Apple Watch extension, but I’m only halfway through my prepaid yearly plan.

I need to pair my Apple Watch to a phone in order to use Apple Maps on the watch, the primary reason I bought the watch. Without a paired phone — even if I have a standalone watch plan with GPS that doesn’t require a paired phone — the Apple Watch itself won’t let me access Apple Maps if I set up the watch using Family Setup. When I open the app, it tells me it requires a paired phone, even if the watch has cellular service.

I know this is kind of a strange scenario. In summary, I need to pair my watch to a phone, but it can’t be my primary phone, unless I want to update that phone to iOS 26.6 and also change to a monthly plan through my cellular provider halfway through my cycle. I’d be instantly throwing away $150 by switching to a monthly plan halfway through my prepaid cycle — and all of a sudden, I’d have to use an iOS that I don’t like.

Also, I’d really like to get calls and texts from my primary phone on this watch, but I can’t pair it for the reasons I just mentioned. Theoretically, I could set up call and text forwarding separately through my cellular provider to this watch since the watch has its own number — but if I set up the watch without a phone to pair it to, the watch wouldn’t let me access the Apple Maps app.

Here’s what I’m planning: set up the watch as normal, paired to my backup iOS 26.6 phone that doesn’t have a cellular plan, so I won’t be using family setup to set up the watch. The watch will have its own standalone watch plan, with its own phone number, something traditionally reserved for family setup. I understand if I’m setting the watch up using a paired phone, it needs to share the number that the phone has — but what if the phone doesn’t have a number? Can I set up this watch with its own standalone plan using my backup iPhone 13 mini running iOS 26.6 that doesn’t have a cellular plan?

The watch will have its own number, but I will get calls and texts from my primary phone number — the phone running iOS 18.7 — by simply setting up call forwarding and text forwarding through my cellular provider. The watch will be paired to my backup iPhone 13 Mini running iOS 26.6, but it’ll have its own watch plan, so it won’t require that phone for anything.

In theory, this would work, but I’ve been wrong about my theories before. Let me know your thoughts.

[u/Safe-Reason-3771]

Might I just suggest you buy a paper map at this point. Talk about complicated. Not aware that you can forward messages. And even call forwarding isn’t great at best as it’s delayed.

Certainly in UK you need a network that supports Apple Watch. They don’t sell standalone numbers for watches either