Apple Watch International Roaming

[A1000]

In the recent Apple device launch https://www.apple.com/uk/apple-events/ @~16mins  Apple announced that international roaming is coming to watches from series 5 onwards.

Vodafone is included in the 30 launch carriers - does anyone know any more about when this is likely to be available?

Thanks

[AlastairP]

Oh Vodafone, I am so disappointed in your support on this subject. Despite Jayashree’s assurances (see my previous post) and despite further additional telephone support assurances escalated to Vodafone’s most senior technical support people before I left the UK this week, I have just arrived in France to find that my Apple Watch Ultra (on the qualifying one number max data roaming plan), will not work as a standalone cellular or data roaming device as had been promised. 
A roaming on/off “toggle” has not appeared on the Watch or on the Watch app either. The Watch will only work abroad via cellular or data roaming when my iphone with the one number plan is turned on & with me all the time. 

[A1000]

I've now tried my Apple Watch Ultra in USA, Sweden and Austria and can confirm that it hasn't worked in any of them as recently as this week.

[AlastairP]

I have spoken to Apple Support extensively on this & now trust that it is entirely a Vodafone installation issue.  I am on a Vodafone roaming plan & have an ultra watch. Spent countless hours with Vodafone support. However, they cannot seem to enable my Watch to roam. Apple say that only when a data roaming toggle appears on our watches will we know we can then go and roam. Do you agree? Do you know of anyone that Vodafone has been able to set up with a qualifying watch that has the “Data Roaming” toggle appearing? Are Vodafone working on a definitive fix to allow us to see the “Data Roaming” toggle on our watches in the near future please?

[AlastairP]

I just had the “final answer” on this from Vodafone. Jayashree & other agents I spoke to before coming to France were unfortunately wrong.
Vodafone apologised for any inconvenience caused. 
A qualifying UK Apple Watch (A26XX) on a qualifying Vodafone plan (Xtra, etc) CANNOT YET MAKE CALLS OR ROAM as a standalone device (without our iPhone nearby) outside of the UK.
This is despite what we may have been led to believe by Apple’s announcements, Vodafone named as a supporting carrier & subsequent ios 9.1or 9.2 releases that supposedly made it technically possible for the Watch to roam back in 2022. 
I am informed that those on qualifying Vodafone Apple Watch plans will be pro-actively contacted via email by Vodafone if & when this situation changes. 

[Denny787]

Is there anyone else in Uk that does have an esim standalone watch plan that works in roaming?

[swords1010]

To add to this conversation, my Apple Watch also does not have the roaming toggle yet and all Vodafone agents I’ve spoken to have been absolutely clueless about the issue. Huge disappointment. The constant sheer lack of proactiveness on Vodafone’s part to work with Apple and enable features when they are introduced is very disappointing.

[nanastasiou]

What a huge disappointment !!!

I've spent hours trying to convince the clueless vodafone agents what is data roaming on the apple watch never mind fixing it !!!

The option will still not appear inside the watch settings as per apple instructions

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207578

[simax]

Vodafone UK *Does NOT* support roaming on the Apple Watch. No point in trying again and again to get it to work if they don’t support it.

They've already said on the forum they’ll announce when it’s launched.

[swords1010]

Where has this information that you’re referring to been officially communicated?

[AlastairP]

I have been absolutely & categorically told by Vodafone (despite previous promises to the contrary), that they do not support roaming on Apple Watches.  To be fair I am not actually aware of ANY leading carriers who can provide a roaming service with an Apple Watch in Europe. Nor have I come across anyone who says they can roam from their Apple Watch abroad (without their iPhone present). So despite their original announcements, maybe it is Apple themselves who were unrealistic about their watches being able to roam after iOS release 9.1/2?