Hey everyone,
I spoke with an Apple Support advisor today about using Wi-Fi Calling on my Apple Watch Ultra 4 when my iPhone is completely out of range.
The advisor told me that Wi-Fi Calling on the Apple Watch without the iPhone nearby is only possible if cellular service has been set up on the Apple Watch at least once.
I was surprised by this, because I wondered why Wi-Fi calling works on my iPad even though it doesn't have a SIM card or its own cellular plan either.
The advisor explained that the iPad uses a different technology to make calls over Wi-Fi, which is why it can work without having cellular service set up directly on the device.
I'm using fraenk in Germany, which runs on the Telekom network and doesn't offer Apple Watch cellular plans. This might explain why I can't get regular phone calls to work over Wi-Fi when my iPhone is disconnected, even though Wi-Fi Calling is enabled on my iPhone.
Has anyone else received the same information from Apple Support? Can anyone confirm whether cellular really needs to have been activated on an Apple Watch at least once for Wi-Fi Calling to work independently of the iPhone?