Hello there,
I am considering buying an apple watch LTE version however I am on boost mobile.
while I am aware that boost does not have an option for eSim, I could not find any other prepaid long-expiry sim that offers number sharing between devices.
Does that mean that if I want an LTE version of the watch I have to move to a postpaid plan from either Telstra, Optus or Vodafone?
Any help and guidance would be appreciated.
thanks
yeah thats why I went for the cheapest vodafone plan - $45/month - vodafone is good in my area (Telstra > Vodafone > Optus in my area)
I think you need a post paid mobile plan $49 + an extra $5 subscription for number share on Optus.
I have Apple Watch 3 LTE and now run it without the extra data service. I always have my phone on me anyway & the GPS works regardless.
Yes only postpaid as far as I have found. Apple Watch does work with JB Hifi/Good Guys Telstra plans though, probably Samsung ones do too.
Yes. The only cheap alternative is to activate Apple Watch in Family Setup mode with Truphone, but you lose a lot of features, and it will not share your number.
Its a restriction by telco's rather than the devices.
Yes unfortunatley Australian telcos have not caught up with the rise of LTE watches and its currently restricted only to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone last i checked. It is frustrating because society has moved on from being locked into plans with those major telcos and plenty of people are satisfied with service from other virtual players in the market now like Boost, Belong etc but they dont offer these basic functionalities that everyone expects to work with LTE watches. I was looking at an LTE watch back in early 2019 and had the same issues then and its now 2023 and nothing seems to have changed.
Most plans aren't lock in anymore, though.
If you need number sharing then I'm afraid you are stuck with the big 3 (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) for your phone and watch plan for numbersharing.
However, if you can live with using a separate number on your watch, and you are using a Samsung watch you can do it for very cheap. (I am unsure if apple watch can do this, but given the locked-down nature of all apple devices, I assume it can't)
First you will need to find a esim enabled mobile plan. The best one I know is the vodafone prepaid $40 starter kit, in a long expiry plan called Pay and Go. It offers 1GB data when you activate with auto recharge, and has 1 year expiry, which works out to 83 MB for $3.33 per month. If you want more data, you can try the $10 for 2 months plan, which you will need to switch to once you have activated your vodafone SIM card, which comes with 1GB data, so 500MB for $5 per month. You can get the starter pack for cheap on Vodafone's website or on Ebay.
Make sure your esim mobile plan gives you a QR code to activate the esim. I have tried amaysim and their esim mobile plan must be activated with the app, and I have talked to customer service and they were unable to give me a QR code. Therefore amaysim's esim isn't compatible with this method.
Now once you have obtained your esim, you will need to add it to your watch. These steps are for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, it might work with the watch 5 but I haven't tested it. If you are using a different watch, test this first before going out and buying a mobile plan in case it doesn't work for you.
Now you have cheap calls and data for your Galaxy Watch.
This^
I have a Galaxy watch active 2 and it works perfectly.
Using a Lebara PAYG plan and that's about $10/yr for my usage.
The only time I use LTE is when I'm going for a run a couple of times a week, and I have calls diverted to my Lebara number.
I can easily reply to messages on Whatsapp/FB messenger without an issue and take calls as well. An hour of message syncing via LTE is roughly about 50kb and gets charged at $0.02perMB, so I don't think my $10 will run out before it expires.
Thanks for sharing. Does Lebara offer QR code with the pack or do I have to get it from customer care?
cheers,
I bought it online. Selected the esim starter pack (was $5, but comes with $5 credit) and they emailed me the QR code. Another $5 recharge and I'm set for a year.
@FirstWizard: Hey @FirstWizard, i see the link for the $5 SIM (assuming this is the one?) but how do I then recharge for $5 and it lasts a year? All the long term plans seem to be over $100.
@FirstWizard: Pay as you go is $10 min. Is that correct? So $5 for SIM, $5 for first bundle then $10 should get me an enabled Samsung watch with message only capabilities and 12 months expiry? Will i consume any background data on my Samsung leaving my settings native?
@killabob: Yes that was it. $5 when you buy the Sim and another $5 when you activate.
The watch defaults to turning off LTE when it's connected to the phone via BT.
that's the setting I use. So it only consumes data when disconnected from the phone.
@FirstWizard: Hey @FirstWizard have you come across the "Can't turn on Lebara…" "Setup your watch using the plan you were using before…" error on your Samsung watch? My Lebara plan worked for a few days but now no longer working. Good Telstra have pushed something as that's who i originally bought it from?
@killabob: Yes, it happed to me when the Samsung wear app was updated.
I just had to re-enable the two settings in the secret menu and restart the watch. (See AwesomeAndrews instructions 1-3 above)
@FirstWizard: Thanks. Had to request another esim as the existing one doesn't work anymore. Hope i don't have to do this too often…Lebara and exactly fast on their responses lol
@killabob: Oh right. That's wierd. I've changed phones, and even factory reset my watch a few times and managed to have the same esim
@killabob: I am having the same problem it worked for like a minute then plan was turned off with the error message. Any luck with you ? Is there a way to work aroud it? Thanks
@Yourstel: Did it start working for you again? I followed the instructions and it worked fine, but after a couple of days just stopped with that same error message. Removed the esim so now waiting on replacement from lebara.
@Fruitloop: Never got one. Waited a while then got back in touch and another support person said there was no way to send a replacement and I just had to buy a new one, so I gave up. You?
@edblax: I've found that the old watch 5 it works but watch 6 it seems to detect the sim on the phone doesn't match the watch. But if you run through the steps above and then immediately disconnect from the phone (like if you were leaving it at home) then it will keep the watch esim active until you reconnect to your phone.
Then it will detect its not matching and require you to repeat the set up. It's annoying but it's a workaround to having the LTE stick until you reconnect to the phone.
Have finally set mine up. I can't see Whatsapp and FB messenger app on the playstore. How are you getting notifications from these apps to your watch?
AFAIK WhatsApp or FB doesn't have native wear OS apps. They just get transmitted to the watch as normal notifications do. And has a reply option built in.
It's the same behaviour as when you have the watch paired using Bluetooth
The only Lebara PAYG I can see is an Extra Small 5 Day SIM for $5. But that lasts 5 days then you have to buy a 30 day or long term plan to keep it active ? I can't see how you can have a $10 credit where the plan stays active for a year without paying a lot more money ? Can you explain ? Thanks
I don't think the details of the plan was ever on the plans section on the website.
But the recharge option is shown once you activate the Sim and login to your account settings on the website or the app.
I just checked the app and I still have the option of recharging $10.
You can see the details here:
https://www.lebara.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Lebara-…
So you may have to try it yourself. The max you have to lose is $5(for which I wouldn't take liability of😅). But you'd at least get the 5 day unlimited starter plan for that to test out the functionality.
@FirstWizard: Brilliant. It worked. Slightly different Lebara plan now but total of $15 for 365days active mobile service PS Can Galaxy watches store more than one eSIM account so you can swap between them like a phone or does a new eSIM account overwrite the old one?
The magic plan is PAY AS YOU GO.
So to confirm, you can buy the extra small plan that lasts 5 days for $5 which includes 3GB data and lots of calls/SMS to test it out. Then once you've logged in to your account, you can select from all the standard 30 day plans after the 5 day plan has expired.
BUT there is also a PAY AS YOU GO on that list. Lebara confirmed any credit added under this PAYG will last up to 365 days. You'd only want this plan if you were a very low user and/or attached to a smartwatch. It's perfect for a smart watch for use in Australia (Vodafone network)
The tariff for calls is not obvious called Standard Plan $10/365 days and is here Lebara Tariff
Minimum $5 on activation on the above 5 day plan and minimum recharge after is $10. The charge for services is as follows:
Standard National Landline Voice Call $0.15 per min
Standard National Mobile Voice Call $0.15 per min
Standard International Voice Call Varied*
Standard National SMS $0.15 per SMS
Data $0.02 per MB
Lebara to Lebara calls within Australia Free
Note this PAYG isn't great if you want to roam overseas unless for emergencies . $1 per MB , $1 per min or calls
International roaming is permitted in the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece,
Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jersey, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea,
Poland, Portugal, Romania , Samoa, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, U.K., U.S.A., Vanuatu (Not Croatia …yet )
Customers must have an active main balance in order to utilise international roaming. The costs and rates
related to the use of international roaming listed below will be deducted from your main balance.
Voice Calls $1/min
Call Forwarding $1/min
Mobile Terminating Call Received $1/min
Standard SMS to Australia or Other Destination $1/sms
SMS to Self Care Free rated
Delivery Report $1/sms
MO MMS to Australia or to other destination $1/mms
Normal Data $1/MB
MMS Data $1/MB
MVNO Content Free rated
Thanks for letting me know about this. I've followed the steps above (as of 21/12/2023) I let the 5 days lapse and i noticed my account still had 2.99. I added $10 which will keep the 2.99GB in the databank! for the year. plenty data for the year!
My 5 days plan expired but I couldnt find the PAYG PLAN on the lebara app.
Has it been obsolete ?
Thanks for sharing. It's very helpful.
Would I still be able to answer the call I get on the phone via the Samsung watch or does the different sim number restrict it?
You will need to setup your phone to redirect unanswered calls to your watch number. Then you should be able to answer the call from the watch. When the watch is connected to the phone using Bluetooth you can answer the call directly.
Thanks Andrew it worked for me too. I could able to setup the samsung galaxy watch 5 LTE successfully. However, I have two esim from lebara, 1 for my mobile and 1 for watch both are 5 days trial sims. I am not sure which one to recharge for long expiry and continuous data and usage as I will be watch for my son as a tracker and to reach him. Please advise
@kool1234: The lebara app shows the phone number of the SIM you're recharging?
I'm sure it's easy to find out your mobile sim's number?
Super helpful, but has anyone had any luck with Prepaid eSim with Apple Watch? I'll be using the Family Setup, so a separate number is needed.
Thank you @AwesomeAndrew for this fix. It worked perfectly on my galaxy watch 5, and additionally worked using Woolworths mobile (telstra network) on their $10/month prepaid plan. Thank you, thank you 👏
Hi @Haylos
I couldn't find the $10/month Woolworths prepaid plan. Could you please share the link or details? Thanks
Can a Galaxy Watch (LTE 46mm from 2020 in my case) store multiple eSIM accounts directly using this method ? I've added a Lebara PAYG directly on to the watch but I don't want to overwrite it if I get an eSIM for roaming for example.
I wondered as under the watch menu "Mobile Networks", then "Mobile Plans", there is "Add Mobile plan" but not clear if deletes the 1st one ?
Second question. If you backup your watch in to the samsung cloud , can you restore your old eSIM account if you do accidently overwrite it ?
Thx @AwesomeAndrew
Galaxy watch 4 can store 2 eSim profiles. Other models should be similar. Adding a new eSim profile will not delete any existing ones. Only 1 profile can be active at a time. You cannot backup eSim profiles to Samsung cloud.
The vodafone Pay and Go plans are hidden here for anyone trying to find them ;-)
Note you can buy the discounted starter packs, eg. from supermarket, and activate on PAYG plan instead of monthly. Typically $15 for the $40 pack, lasts one year.
Hi Andrew,
Good day, I was wondering, does this method work in Galaxy 3 Watch?
I'm not sure, but if you have the watch already you can try going through the setup process yourself to see if it works or not. There probably is a way to get it working on the Watch3 somewhere on the internet.
Thank you Andrew, I will give it a try then. If it's work then let you know, dear
Hi Andrew
I did everything you said here and it activated with new number and sharing with my mobile samsung account.
But the problem is, if I call from my mobile number to my watch number then I can see the number but it doesn't vibrate or ring whereas vibrate ring option is on.
But it vibrate and ring if the calls comes from other number
Please help.
Did I do something wrong?
By the way it's galaxy 5 watch
Thanks in advance
Hi Andrew
I did everything you said here and it activated with new number and sharing with my mobile samsung account.
But the problem is, if I call from my mobile number to my watch number then I can see the number but it doesn't vibrate or ring whereas vibrate ring option is on.
But it vibrate and ring if the calls comes from other number
Please help.
Did I do something wrong?
By the way it's galaxy 5 watch
Thanks in advance
Can confirm that this method works with Galaxy Watch 6 LTE as well.
Cheers again!
Amaysim has prepaid esim which im using right now on my phone.
Are you able to share the number across both the phone and the smart watch?
Bookmarked 👍
Thanks for this amazing tip @AwesomeAndrew I have a Galaxy Watch SM-R805…. 46mm LTE (made in 2020). I could also find the hidden menu. slightly different to your instructions but very close ( I had to click 5 times on the Galaxy Watch Plugin heading not the Galaxy Wearable ) . I'll have to try a plan next.
(I also noticed an option to enter the plan activation code details manually if you don't want to use the camera for the QR code)
For fun: Has anyone who wanted to roam overseas and just wanted a data service rather than voice for their watch tried an eSim plan from sources such as airalo or Dent? Is it possible that an Australian variant (not-locked) Galaxy watch will work on a non-australian mobile plan? (assuming the LTE channels are compatible obviously)
Hi dear, can this method work on galaxy 3
Hi I am using Samsung Watch 5 and used lebara sim 5 day plan for trial and tried the trick of AwesomeAndrew", thanks i am able to activate this card, here must mention while activation process it asked me which number you want to link before switching on, so i selected my mobile no sim as its also a lebara long expiry plan.
Issue is after few minutes my watch shows ""your phone switched to new mobile plan, set up new plan so can get call and messages"" shows next button, after this message if i dont press next button then still i can get call but cant do anything, cant select any option inside. if i do next button this its disconnect plan autometically.
how to solve this issue?
You'll have to turn on the plan again from the galaxy wearable app. You might also need to re enable the qr testmode in the app as well.
Hi
I have same issue appeared. How did you solve your one?
Has anyone tried this with the newly released Samsung Watch 6 LTE ?? I have Lebara $14.90 30 day Extra small Starter Pack ready with ESIM QR code at the ready but no luck yet in accessing the 5 tap hidden menu on my Samsung S23 Ultra 512gb model SM-S918B.The only hidden menu I unlocked is a link to A T&T.
I have a Galaxy Watch 6, it worked at first using these instructions (phone is S8) but then stopped with the same error people are reporting above.
Hello.. just here to say that the steps mentioned above by @AwesomeAndrew still works and it worked for me, for Samsung watch 5 Pro with Lebara extra small starter plan. I did this, using my still running strong S10+ phone.
Hi everyone, I've been using my LTE Samsung smartwatch with Lebara successfully & independently of my Oppo phone's sim.
I've just got a new Samsung phone. What do i need to do to connect wearable app on new phone to the old smartwatch?
Is there a way to make it forget the old phone or does the separate Lebara esim confuse the process when transferring? I've backed up the phone to the samsung cloud but i know the eSim is not backed up. Or do i have to reset the watch and start all again and ask Lebara for a refresh code ?
Looks like you need to reset a watch when you change phones, so I'll need a replacement eSim from Lebara.
Pretty sure that's the case with the Apple Watch. They require some plan subscription. Kinda like Blackberry. It's very dumb and it's the reason why I haven't got one.