ESIM on Apple Watch: An Overview and Simple steps to set up

First introduced to Vietnam in 2019, eSIM is no longer novel to phone users. ESIM technology has become more and more popular, supported not only on smartphones but also on tablets and smartwatches, including Apple Watch. In this article, we will show you some information about eSIM, as well as how to set up an eSIM on your Apple Watch.

1. What is Apple Watch eSIM?

ESIM, short for Embedded SIM, is a type of electronic SIM built into the circuit board of electronic devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets. Unlike a regular physical SIM, an eSIM cannot be taken out from the device. Having an eSIM available on Apple Watch allows you to make and receive phone calls, or send and receive text messages like on a regular phone without having to bring your phone with you 24/7, so it's extremely convenient and you won’t have to worry about forgetting your phone at home.

2. How to set up an eSIM on your Apple Watch

Not all Apple Watch devices support eSIM. Before setting up an eSIM on your Apple Watch, you need to check whether your Apple Watch supports eSIM or not. All you have to do is follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open Settings on your Apple Watch.

Step 2: Go to General, then select About.

Step 3: Then select Model. You will see the model code which has 5 characters, starting with "A"

You can also check your Apple Watch model information on the phone when you successfully connect the Apple Watch to your iPhone. Just open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, select My Watch, then select General > About > Model, and you will see the 5-character model code.

When traveling to another country and you need to use eSIM, the model code is an easy way to check if your Apple Watch supports eSIM in that country.

Another way to check if your Apple Watch supports eSIM is to look at the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch. Devices that support eSIM have a red ring painted on the Digital Crown button. These are Apple Watch LTE models that have eSIM available.

In addition to knowing whether your Apple Watch supports eSIM or not, you also need to look over some requirements of your iPhone so that it is compatible with Apple Watch LTE. These are, your iPhone should be iPhone 6 or later, and the operating system must be from iOS 11.

Steps to set up an eSIM on your Apple Watch

When syncing your Apple Watch with your iPhone for the first time, Apple Watch has complete instructions on how to activate LTE to use eSIM on Apple Watch.

In case LTE has not been activated when first syncing with iPhone, you can do as follows:

Step 1: Open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone you want to connect your Apple Watch to

Step 2: Go to “My Watch”

Step 3: Select “Cellular”

Step 4: Select “Setup Cellular”

Step 5: Fill in the registration information as required by the network operator

Step 6: The system will then go to the Registration page for Apple Watch. Click Agree

Step 7: Agree to the carrier's terms and conditions

When complete, you then can use eSIM on your Apple Watch which has been synchronized with your iPhone’s SIM. To check if the setup was successful, on your Apple Watch, swipe up to go to Control Center. If you see the mobile data symbol turn green like on the iPhone, this means you have successfully set up an eSIM on your Apple Watch. You can use the eSIM on your Apple Watch with the same functions as on your iPhone.

3. Benefits of eSIM on Apple Watch

There are plenty of benefits to using an Apple Watch eSIM.

• No need to carry your phone 24/7

Once the Apple Watch eSIM is synchronized with your iPhone eSIM, you can use it to make and receive phone calls and exchange text messages like on a regular phone. Thanks to this feature, you can always keep yourself updated with messages and calls from your iPhone through Apple Watch eSIM without having to carry your phone with you.

• Internet access

Your Apple Watch eSIM shares the same 4G/5G mobile data package as that of your iPhone. So you can get full access to the Internet on your Apple Watch.

• Music available

Thanks to the accessibility to the Internet, you can experience an interesting feature which is listening to music on your smartwatch. Just open any music app or website, and enjoy!

• Set up an emergency call

You can also set up an emergency call like on your phone to make calls in urgent situations. This feature is especially useful when you need immediate help. Models such as Apple Watch Series 5 and above, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE also support international roaming, allowing you to connect to the Internet when traveling abroad.

4. Summary

To recap, eSIM on Apple Watch is an extremely helpful technology that allows you to perform basic tasks like on smartphones. Setting up an eSIM on Apple Watch is also extremely easy. Hope you find it useful.