Question

Watch4 LTE - no texts

  • 20 September 2021
  • 12 replies
  • 1779 views
H
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Phone: Galaxy A51 5G

Watch: Samsung Watch4 LTE version - received 4 days ago

I purchased a Watch4 to be able to go running/biking & still receive calls/texts without having to take my phone with me. I received my watch on Thursday & started setting it up. I noticed that the ability to receive calls/texts on my watch when on LTE wasn’t working properly. 

On Saturday, I stopped in to my local retail location. The folks there were so great & super helpful. After some troubleshooting, they reset my network on their side to see if that may help whatever is going on.

After doing this, my watch started receiving phone calls on LTE. However, it was still not receiving testing text messages. The poor guy helping me tried everything he could think of to get this working but was ultimately not successful.

At one point, we did see a message on the watch (which is no longer there) that said there’s a setting on the phone which was making it unable to receive texts. The message didn’t say what setting it was, though, so we went through every setting we could possibly think of, short of resetting the entire phone. 

Does anyone know of what else I can do to get texts successfully going to my watch while on LTE? This is the entire reason I bought the watch at all so not having that functionality is very disappointing. 

12 replies

G
Userlevel 3
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This is a known issue. The workaround is to pair the watch and phone by Bluetooth.

H
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That’s not really a workaround, since it doesn’t achieve the desired result. 

I ended up resetting the watch entirely & starting from scratch. After doing that, it seems to be working properly on LTE - I’ll test it out for a few days & see how it goes. 

J

Well glad to hear that the reset fixed it (for now) but if the issue occurs again and persists, submit error report through the wearable app and/or the samsung members app as soon as you can. Doing so will let the techs at the Samsung look into the issue better and hopefully figure out what the cause is. 

S

I also can't make call or text from watch when phone is off. Why make us pay for service if the watch can't make calls by its self. If I can't make standalone call from watch I will be returning the watch. I do not want to pay the service plan for watch if this is not working.

D
Userlevel 2
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I had the deluded idea that the watch was a standalone device, but it seems directly dependent on the phone.  It is not clear in my mind if it is entirely dependent on bluetooth and proximity to the phone or not. Or if the phone itself needs to be left “on” if you leave it at home.  

If it can receive an 4G LTE signal, connect with the network, then piggyback on its connection to the phone, then it could be a useful device.  Mostly it seems from what I have read in reviews in various places, parents want the watches to keep track of their kids. I am deciding whether to keep the SS watch 4 I just received.

just my two cents, not woth much
R

The watches at not standalone devices on Theriot network. Yes I have three with all unlimited plans but have been told after 50 hours of being on the phone with them that the watches cannot be activated. They sell us the LTE version and plans but cannot provide the service. 

Companion only watches and must be near the phone. Basically an expensive way to only be able to use as a BT device with this carrier. LTE is non functional on Sprint/TMobile.

D
Userlevel 2
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thank you for that feedback. I returned mine. It seemed to complicate and to compromise the functionality of the phone itself.  I think the hookup (between watch and phone) is also non-functional on 5G from some of the other comments. So it is an expensive toy reaching for a use.  since I grew up reading Dick Tracy in the newspaper comics section, a Dick Tracy wrist radio still is an intriguing idea, but not there just yet.

just my two cents, not woth much
M

Wow - what a mess - On the phone another 3 hours tonight with TMobile tech support….

I do want to let you all know that TMobile customer service and tech support are lying to their customers.

After spending about 2 hours on line, a tech by name of Michael, brought Samsung tech support on line for a joint call.  AlRashid from Samsung took my watch model number, serial number and imei number and verified that the Samsung Watch 4 with LTE is carrier unlocked, has an internal sim and all that needs to happen is the proper activation at carrier.  During this time, Michael just dropped off the line - so no further on that call - TMobile skirted around the issue again.

Called tech support back - tech by name of Saydi told me to go back to TMobile store for the 10th or so time - Store has been escalating about 6 weeks. Sadi skirted around the issue for a second time - no help from on line tech support - they just pass the issue somewhere else.

This is nuts that TMobile is so clueless - talking with half their techs, they are saying the watches are not stand alone.  The other half understands the issue, but I have not been able to find the right tech or combination to get this working.  

Looking even on this thread and others in this community, some people get the right combination - some don’t and many are just giving up and returning their watches.

Come on TMobile - get the issue under control - get the plan and setting right and train your tech staff.  

THIS IS POSSIBLE - TO MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING EVENTUAL SUCCESS!!!!!!!

F
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

there is currently an issue that popped up with Sammy devices and texting..im still waiting to hear if this also affects the watches or if the problem somehow bypassed them. i’ll post back what i hear..could be what you are seeing however if it started more than a couple days ago your scenario might be a bit different.

***I like many others come onto this site for assistance and to help others. Marking a reply as helpful or correct helps others with like issues when they try to search the site for assistance. I do not work for Tmobile and my suggestions and or opinions are my own**.~~~~ The site here is primarily peer to peer with some TMO moderation to keep the site in order..They do not have account access..The prefered method would be to contact TMO through either calling in (tier 1 support) or by contacting them through either Facebook/Twitter (tier 2 support)**~~~~
B
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Same T-Mobile is lying you are right about that. Samsung built a stand alone watch phone. T-Mobile told me 4 yrs ago it was a glitch I called BS 

 

J

Just wanted to add my 2 cents.  I know the watch does have its own data plan because I can make and receive calls on it with the phone off.  I can also say that the techs at the stores I have been to have tried their best to figure it out but they don't really have much knowledge with Samsung products, or at least as much as they do with Apple watches.  The issue seems to be limited to texting which is the main method of communicating these days.  It is very frustrating.  Does this issue occur on Verizon or AT&T as well?  If I can get this to work, I would love my watch, now I only like and and should probably stop paying for the data plan.

A

So, recently I got the option for using the e-sim number on my watch and send and receive text messages using it

the problem is that, there is an hidden option somewhere that allows you to choose which number is gonna send-receive the messages, but i just don’t remember where it is. Recently I lost the functionality, but after a few resets, it showed up for me once again. But as soon as I put the esim number, it just vanishes again (????), which makes no sense at all. 

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