Thanks to the Apple Watch Family Setup feature, you're able to offer anyone in your household (child, spouse or otherwise), an Apple Watch that will work without the need for an accompanying iPhone. It'll need to be a cellular Apple Watch, as the feature only needs to communicate away from Wi-Fi with the 'host' iPhone, but that can be a major saving to keep your family connected. The best Apple Watch comes in cellular models, so if you have a Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or an Apple Watch SE, you can use them for Family Setup.
While many of the best cell plans for Apple Watch can overlap with the best cell plans for Family Setup, there are a few certain plans from some carriers meant for this application specifically. Here's what you need to know to pick the best cell plans for Family Setup.
Disclaimer: Not every cell plan can be found everywhere, even from the same carrier in different locations. Many factors determine which plans carriers offer near you. Check with your local cell provider to see if our suggestions are available to you.
Truphone
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Truphone offers a special deal for Family Setup specifically, including unlimited data, call, and text, and a U.S. phone number, all for $10.99 a month. There's no lock-in contract, making it easy to cancel whenever you need, and there's even a 7-day free trial to see if you like the service.
Truphone for Apple Watch
Truphone offers a Family Setup Apple Watch plan for only $10.99 a month without a lock-in contract.
AT&T
If you're invested in the AT&T cell service, the carrier allows you to add Apple's timepiece to its AT&T Unlimited Starter, AT&T Unlimited Extra, AT&T Unlimited Elite plans for $10 a month. With each of the three plans you gain access to unlimited talk, text, and data, including speedy 5G downloads. Those perks extend to Mexico and Canada, and add international texting to the mix, too.
Buy an Apple Watch at full price through AT&T and you can keep your plans distinct, as the carrier offers separate plans for just the Apple Watch from $10 a month.
AT&T for Apple Watch
Add an Apple Watch to AT&T's unlimited plan for $10 a month. It bags you all unlimited talk, text, and data allowances, and you can also buy an Apple Watch through AT&T and get a separate plan for $10 a month.
T-Mobile
If you can't get enough of T-Mobile's pink aesthetic (and strong offers!), you can add an Apple Watch to either its Essential plan, Magenta plan, or Magenta Plus. It costs $10 a month to add an Apple Watch to either of those plans. Each of ht eplans gets you unlimited talk, text, and data allowances, while also opening access to premium speedy-tier data.
T-Mobile for Apple Watch
T-Mobile will let you add an Apple Watch to its Essential plan, Magenta plan, or Magenta Plus plan for $10 a month. A nice upgrade if you're adding it onto an existing carrier plan.
U.S. Cellular
If you're on U.S Cellular's unlimited plan for your iPhone, you can easily add an Apple Watch to the mix for an additional $10 a month, and that includes Family Setup for multiple watches at an additional $10 per device. Each plan provides allowances for unlimited talk, text, and data, while the Everday and Even Better plans add improved video streaming quality and limited roaming in Mexico and Canada on top, too. You'll get the first three months of Apple Watch service for free — a nice customer-first boon that let's you see if the concept works for you.
U.S. Cellular for Apple Watch
One of the fresh faces when it comes to carriers, U.S. Cellular will add an Apple Watch to its unlimited plans for $10 a month. Plus, you'll get a trial period, with the first three months of the offer free.
Verizon
You can add an Apple Watch to any Verizon plan for $10 a month. Verizon's unlimited plans cost can vary in price depending on how many additional lines you add, but they all include unlimited talk, text, and data and allowances across its 5G network.
While there are no special deals or pricing for Family Setup, the carrier does support the feature. You can add multiple Apple Watches using Family Setup to a plan each for the $10 a month.
Verizon for Apple Watch
Verizon's unlimited plans provide allowances for unlimited talk, text, and data. Each plans gives access to its 5G coverage, and you can add extra Apple Watches to these plans for $10 a month, per device.
How to pick the best plan cell plan for Apple Watch Family Setup
You've got lots of options across the major carriers for Family Setup cell plans on Apple Watch, and thankfully they all keep things quite simple with more-or-less flat (and similar!) fees per Watch on the plans.
If you're already happy with a phone plan on one of the above carriers, it makes sense to stick with them for the Watch family plans too. But if you're new to the scene, take advantage of U.S. Cellular's try-before-you-buy trial period.
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Gerald Lynch
Editor in Chief
Gerald Lynch is the Editor-in-Chief of iMore, keeping careful watch over the site's editorial output and commercial campaigns, ensuring iMore delivers the in-depth, accurate and timely Apple content its readership deservedly expects. You'll never see him without his iPad Pro, and he loves gaming sessions with his buddies via Apple Arcade on his iPhone 15 Pro, but don't expect him to play with you at home unless your Apple TV is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system.
Living in London in the UK, Gerald was previously Editor of Gizmodo UK, and Executive Editor of TechRadar, and has covered international trade shows including Apple's WWDC, MWC, CES and IFA. If it has an acronym and an app, he's probably been there, on the front lines reporting on the latest tech innovations. Gerald is also a contributing tech pundit for BBC Radio and has written for various other publications, including T3 magazine, GamesRadar, Space.com, Real Homes, MacFormat, music bible DIY, Tech Digest, TopTenReviews, Mirror.co.uk, Brandish, Kotaku, Shiny Shiny and Lifehacker. Gerald is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press, and also holds a Guinness world record on Tetris. For real.
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