How to make calls on Apple Watch

Tuesday October 13, 2026 6:10 pm EAT by Dave Johnson

Make phone and FaceTime audio calls, start a Group FaceTime call from Messages, and set up Wi-Fi calling.

You can call a favorite by turning the Digital Crown, call a contact, or dial a recent number. You can also enter a phone number, and bring a Messages conversation into a FaceTime audio call, where you can even add more people. With Wi-Fi calling, you can make calls even when your paired iPhone isn’t with you.

Here’s how to make calls on Apple Watch.

Call a contact

Start the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
Do one of the following:
- Call a favorite: Turn the Digital Crown down, then tap a favorite.
- Call a contact: Turn the Digital Crown upward, tap Contacts, and tap a contact.
- Dial a recent number: Turn the Digital Crown upward to scroll through recent contacts, then tap a contact.

Start a Group FaceTime call from Messages

If you’re in a Messages conversation, you can bring it into a FaceTime audio call and then add more people to the call.

Start the Messages app on your Apple Watch.
In a conversation, tap the Contact’s profile picture at the top right. Tap FaceTime audio.
To invite more people to the call, tap the More Options button, tap Add People, and then choose a contact.

Enter a phone number

Start the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
Tap the Dialer button at the top right. Then enter the number.
To start the call, tap the Call button.

Quick tip: If you need to enter additional numbers during a call, like an extension or a verification code, tap the More Options button, tap Keypad, and then tap the digits.

Set up Wi-Fi calling

If your cellular carrier offers Wi-Fi calling, your Apple Watch can make and receive calls over Wi-Fi rather than the cellular network, and that works even when your paired iPhone is turned off or isn’t with you. Your Apple Watch only needs to be within range of a Wi-Fi network your iPhone has connected to in the past.

To see if your carrier offers Wi-Fi calling, see Make a call with Wi-Fi calling, and enable Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone.

Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap Cellular and tap Wi-Fi Calling.
Turn on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone and turn on Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices.

Note: For the most accurate location during emergency calls, use cellular instead of Wi-Fi when possible. You can temporarily disconnect from Wi-Fi on your Apple Watch to prioritize the cellular connection.