So I just got two LTE galaxy watch 4's to use when I don't want to carry my phone with me (while exercising). After spending two hours at a T-Mobile store and another hour on the phone with a technician, they escalate and another tech comes on and advises me that the galaxy watch 4 cannot be used as a standalone on t mobile. It can only be used when connected and near the phone its paired with! WHY would T-Mobile sell an LTE watch that can only be used when connected to the phone? That is called a Bluetooth watch! Very frustrated with them wasting 3 hours of my time, when this could have been mentioned when the watches were ordered. And even then, why sell LTE watches instead of Bluetooth watches? Has anyone one had this issue?

UPDATE: Bottomline is they fixed it at the store. I never got a call back regarding the claim that was submitted, so I again drove to the T-Mobile store and signed in, waited about an hour and re-explained the whole situation. A technician did what I expected he would do, which is do a factory reset, eventually one of the associates that was working with me 6 days earlier got involved and told me that they have not yet received a response from the claim that was submitted, He did some research in their system and told me that what he just learned is that there are many complaints about Samsung Smart Watch 4 not being compatible with their system and they do not work with stand alone LTE plans. I expressed my disbelief and asked "Then why did you sell me one with a stand alone wearable plan for $10 per month if the company knows it wont work?" He agreed that it should not happen but that is the situation with this new watch. I said "then why does the same additional watch that I added to my wife's Samsung cell phone work on our same business plan, but mine does not?" He was perplexed by this and looked into the provisions and settings of each of our watch/phone settings in their system and found that my settings had 3 features included, that my wife's watch did not have. It took a few tries to copy and replicate the same settings as my wife's settings, and the whole process including the conversations and research took about 90 minutes, but he finally got it to work. I wish I could tell others here exactly what settings were changed, but it was on their commuter screen and I could not view it. I do remember him telling the manager in the process that he removed the "companion" feature in my settings, but that was only 1 of the three features that were taken out. I am happy that my new Smart Watch 4 now works stand alone, I can take walks, runs, bike rides and leave my phone at home, and still be able to make/receive calls, and texts and record my workout data that syncs to my account. I am now very satisfied.

I have the exact same issue. Just received two Galaxy 4 watches yesterday, have 2 separate lines but have been unable to make calls on the LTE network. A phone rep from T-Mobile told me the exact same thing, that the phones don't work as standalone devices. I find it unbelievable that we can purchase these devices through our carrier, which are made to be LTE capable, and not be able to use them that way. It doesn't make sense.

Thanks N2Wood you cracked the code! The key is to tell customer support to remove the companion feature from the account, On their end. Once they remove that just reboot the watch. If you see lte on the upper display your good to go. Big thanks to Thomas from tmobil customer service in Kentucky. Best CSR ever. Now my watch has a different number than my phone! No phone leash at all!P.S. worked on this for 5 hours and 6 CSR ugh hope this helps everyone to avoid that hell.

I have 2. Both work seamlessly without the phone. They both have their own #. But are synced to their respective phones. They need to check the settings for you to be used as a standalone. I am very happy with ours. Only issue the battery life is shortened when not hooked to phone. Absolutely love the freedom it gives us!

You can thank Samsung for that. That is how their watches are designed. It's a peripheral.

Anyone else having problem activating galaxy watch 4 as standalone?

Badmikey1
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
societydmg wrote:

No, I never tried DIGITS. I'm not sure it would work for me as I came over from Sprint. I'm on the T-mobile network now but I don't think I can use DIGITS.

I shouldn't have anything to do with Sprint anymore...
ItzyZaza
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
And one year later the problem persists. This is a Samsung issue. I was easily able to set up a standalone plan on my Apple Watch. I'm about to cuss somebody out at Samsung lol.
TLH20
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
FYI!!!
Don't let anyone tell you, you can't use the Samsung Galaxy Watches as stand alone watches. I recently purchased the Samsung Watch 6 Classic ( which is the LTE) version. I contacted tmobile via chat because it wasn't allowing me to make or receive calls independently. After 2 hours of chat, I was transferred to technical support. She basically did the same as the chat representative and I even had to reset my watch! She kept asking me was it the LTE version, I said yes. After being on the phone for about an hour and a half, she placed me on hold. She came back to the line and advised Tmobile no longer offers stand alone plans for Samsung watches, only Apple watches. I asked why then is Tmobile selling stand alone watches if it can't operate as its own line? She couldn't answer the question and insisted the only way the watch will work is if it's paired with my fold 5 and tied to digits. I gave up and she paired it with digits. The next day, I called back and another person advised only Samsung version 4 watches are compatible as stand alone and I can only pair my new watch with my phone. I knew the information was wrong, so I called back again and got another agent (Rell) she was able to get my watch set up the correct way ( as a stand alone), she unpaired it from digits,she confirmed that I could make calls, receive calls and text. It took a total of 5 minutes!!!!! I asked to speak to her supervisor to give her kudos and to let her know to please educate the previous reps who misinformed me and who knows else. There are all kinds of posts about this, some people were successful at getting their watches properly connected and working as stand alone and some were not. Again, your Samsung Galaxy Watch (LTE version) can work independently/ operate as a stand alone.
SilverRed
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
@TLH20 how on Earth did you do it? I've currently spent 13+ hours of my time trying to get 2 new Galaxy Watch4s activated on the 2 new lines that T-Mobile gave me. I keep hearing that's it's not possible unless I have a Samsung device from prior to 2018 or if I switch to Apple! Even though T-Mobile's own website is offering promotions for Samsung watches IF you ADD TO A NEW LINE!!
ItzyZaza
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
I just told TMobile to discontinue the services since they were unable to activate my watch as a standalone. I would give it another shot though if I knew what I could tell them to help them activate it. Any advice?
TLH20
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
@SilverRed I just kept trying until I got the right person. It's definitely possible. The watch needs to be set up as its own line. The rep that I spoke to Rell, said it's a common mistake that alot of reps make. It has to be disconnected from digits and be its own individual line.
SnakZ
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
I had the gear s2 setup as a standalone with its own number and everything. Then upgraded to the s4 watch. Again a standalone that was around 2 years ago. It did take the people at the store along time to figure out what I wanted… the dude was a pain lol.

My only problem with the watch is that it keep saying sim card removed and that it overheats. What i learn from other's is that T-Mobile has the watch listed as a "phone" and not as a watch. The problem with that is the amount of power from the cell towers that get sent to the watch. It makes it overheat.

So them telling you it isnt able to is BS. As i have been using the 2 and 4 as standalone for a few years now.
fireguy_6364
Modem Master
Hace 2 años
SnakZ wrote:

I had the gear s2 setup as a standalone with its own number and everything. Then upgraded to the s4 watch. Again a standalone that was around 2 years ago. It did take the people at the store along time to figure out what I wanted… the dude was a pain lol.

My only problem with the watch is that it keep saying sim card removed and that it overheats. What i learn from other's is that T-Mobile has the watch listed as a "phone" and not as a watch. The problem with that is the amount of power from the cell towers that get sent to the watch. It makes it overheat.

So them telling you it isnt able to is BS. As i have been using the 2 and 4 as standalone for a few years now.

lol thats not how it works..its pulling in the exact same signal your phone is..it’ll overheat however with a lack of signal seeing as how the watch or phone would need to keep searching over and over for a signal.
SnakZ
Network Novice
Hace 2 años
fireguy_6364 wrote:

SnakZ wrote:

I had the gear s2 setup as a standalone with its own number and everything. Then upgraded to the s4 watch. Again a standalone that was around 2 years ago. It did take the people at the store along time to figure out what I wanted… the dude was a pain lol.

My only problem with the watch is that it keep saying sim card removed and that it overheats. What i learn from other's is that T-Mobile has the watch listed as a "phone" and not as a watch. The problem with that is the amount of power from the cell towers that get sent to the watch. It makes it overheat.

So them telling you it isnt able to is BS. As i have been using the 2 and 4 as standalone for a few years now.

lol thats not how it works..its pulling in the exact same signal your phone is..it’ll overheat however with a lack of signal seeing as how the watch or phone would need to keep searching over and over for a signal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4aXMJ_hlOI&ab_channel=ALLSTARSPACE

This guy seems to put it all in a nice video of the overheating. As the signal is there its not searching (low signal)
truth-zealot
Roaming Rookie
Hace 11 meses
it is a simbiosis cell plan provider likes two montly bills for you to pay sams-dung engine gets to sell two of its turds to you but never allow you to use one device [standalone] ….
answer is simple [get you ham radio license for 15.00] and a 150.00 handheld HAM … never need the cellphone again.