Family Setup for Apple Watch - When will Xfinity Mobile support this?

I called the Xfinity support number. The representative I spoke to wasn't aware that Family Setup isn't available on Applewates using Xfinity. He was nice, but he just kept telling me to activate my Applewatch, which I can't do for my daughter, since she doesn't have her own phone and the Family Setup is required for her. He also wasn't aware of what Truphone is, which is how I'm trying to do the Family Setup now. It seems that the Xfinity reps might need some training around this Family Setup issue with Applewatches. It would also be helpful if, on the page where I bought my watch, Xfinity noted that Family Setup isn't compatible with Xfinity and that the customer will need to do Family Setup through a different carrier; the message only popped up once I'd already purchased and I tried to activate the new watch. If Xfinity included directions for Family Setup with Truphone they would probably get fewer Applewatch returns and more satisfied customers. 

@DaveO3​ I'm trying to understand your response. "Apple has partnered with Truphone to provide family watch cellular service for all of the US MVNOs such as Xfinity Mobile."Do you mean to say I can keep my iPhone on Xfinity Mobile while doing Family Setup for my child's Apple Watch so long as I do it through Truphone?

@tacocatbackwards​   Yes, look at item 7 on the Apple support article. Click on the supported carrier link, then click on Truphone and setup an account with them, and there should be some instructions, then I presume you go back to the watch and select Truphone, sign in, etc. 

https://web.truphone.com/about/newsroom/how-to-add-a-mobile-plan-to-your-apple-watch/

Good luck!

@tacocatbackwards​ 

Same here. Last time, I bought an iPad from Apple Store, but xfinity refused to added it to cellular account. I had to return iPad and repurchase it from xfinity because I would like to stay with xfinity. Now, I purchased Apple Watch from Walmart for my son, and I thought it was okay, because I have Apple Watch for myself. After I saw your response, I feel I have to move to a different carrier but not versizon - the worst customer service.

@dftones58​ how did you do this? Mine isn’t working

@user_fe52a4​ I can confirm. I have Xfinity Mobile on my phone and a Family Watch for my child. Go on the Truphone website, enter the info. It will automatically hook up after a few minutes. It is a little confusing because the Family Setup will still think it's not setup, but IT WILL CONNECT TO CELLULAR on its own once Truphone processes the request. I hooked up my child's watch about a month ago. Works great, Truphone didn't give me the option to keep his old phone number, but that's a minor inconvenience. Now I pay $30/mo unlimited for my Xfinity Mobile and about $10/mo for Truphone. Good luck!

@tacocatbackwards​ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WORK AROUND! 

I have spent countless hours this past week with Xfinity Mobile trying to make this work to no avail and I was pulling my hair out. TruPhone was the fix, we are up and running for our son’s Apple Watch. So thank you again. 

I have two questions:

1) do I still have to pay the $10/month to have to smartwatch on my Xfinity Mobile account? 

2) Xfinity set up a “host” line, just another phone # on our account to use the watch, which didn’t work. Can I cancel this phone line now that the watch is with TruPhone? 

Thank you! 

Thanks. This will work. But super ticked off Xfinity doesn’t support this and they didn’t tell me about this when I bought it. They said it would work. Is this on Xfinity’s roadmap to add this feature???

@user_t5ogc6​ sorrry that you had to go through this. I also spent hours on the phone and at their franchise location.

your watch is fine. Set it up with Family Setup and skip the cellular part of the process. You will do that later. 

If you wish, keep your phone on xfinity mobile. If the watch you wish to connect with Family Setup is paid off, enter its info in Truphone and start a plan there for the watch. It will connect to cellular on its own in a few minutes (Family Setup might still think cellular has to be set up but you will see the watch connecting to cellular on its own)

i didn’t even have to talk to anyone at Truphone or xfinity to make this work. Truphone just worked.

good luck

@tacocatbackwards​ 

Xfinity is so terrible. They will not allow me to pay off the device on the discounted rate, which means returning watch and cancelling the cellular service is the only solution 😂 I tried 5 people today to talk with no good end.