EE top tips: Make and take calls from your Apple device with Smart Number
14 November 2018
FEATURES & ARTICLES
Being without your phone, even for just a few hours, can be a real nightmare. So how do you stay connected when you don’t have your phone with you?
With our new Smart Number service – currently only available on Apple – you can send and receive calls and texts across up to five devices including your Apple Watch, iPad and MacBook Pro, even when you don’t have your iPhone with you. It doesn’t even need to be switched on.
Smart Number means you can keep connected via an Apple device, even if you’ve forgotten your phone.
How does Smart Number work?
Smart Number technology uses the power of WiFi Calling, enabling you to give your internet-connected Apple devices mobile phone functionality. And all your devices do this from one single phone number – the same one you use for your iPhone.
What’s more, you don’t have to rely solely on WiFi. If you’re away from a wireless network – maybe you’re out on a run or you’re using your iPad to stay entertained on a long car journey – you can use your 4G data to make and take calls or send and receive text messages.
To use Smart Number, you just need to be on an EE pay monthly phone plan and have an iPhone 6 or newer running at least iOS 11.3. Then you can pair any of these Apple devices to your iPhone – even if they’re not on an EE plan.
Plus it’s free to use Smart Number, and any calls and texts come out of your monthly allowance as usual (data will be used if you’re using a paired device on another network).
How do I set up Smart Number?
To take advantage of Smart Number, follow these simple steps. Remember, you can add up to five Apple devices.
To make and receive calls:
- Check that your iPhone and all the other devices that you want to use with EE Smart Number technology are signed into and using the same iCloud account with Facetime
- Go to Phone in your iPhone settings
- Select 'Calls on Other Devices'
- If the service isn’t already on, toggle Allow calls on other devices to 'On'
- Then select 'Add Wi-Fi Calling' from other devices to choose which devices you want to also use
- You will then get notifications on your other devices to tell you to turn it on by entering the code that pops up on your screen. If you have an Apple Watch, you will need to turn on Wi-Fi Calling in the settings.
And to receive and send texts:
- Go to Messages
- Select 'Text Message Forwarding'
- Then choose the devices that you want to also use
What else does Smart Number do?
Utilising one number opens the door to lots of new possibilities. With Smart Number, you can make multiple calls at the same time, seamlessly switching between chats with friends, or speaking to your mum while on hold with a utility company on the other. And you can quickly and conveniently move between devices – so you can be taking a call on your MacBook then switch to your iPhone if you need to leave the house, without leaving the conversation.
