You can use your iPhone^® number as the number your watch uses when sending and receiving text messages. Garmin^® recommends this option for the most seamless experience. If you do not want to turn off the iMessage^® service, Garmin recommends setting up your watch to send and receive text messages with a separate watch phone number.

If you set up the vívoactive^® watch to send and receive messages using your iPhone number, and you have turned off the iMessage service, messages are sent to both your phone and your watch (when your phone is in Bluetooth^® range or when your phone is outside Bluetooth range and your watch is connected to 4G LTE). If you use the Verizon^® Messages+ app on your phone, the message read state syncs between your phone and watch.

If you set up your vívoactive watch to send and receive messages using the watch phone number, the experience is different. Messages sent to the watch phone number appear on the watch (when your phone is in Bluetooth range or when your phone is outside Bluetooth range and your watch is connected to 4G LTE). New messages or replies sent from the watch are sent from the watch phone number. Garmin recommends letting your friends and family know your watch phone number.

When your phone is in Bluetooth range and a message is sent to your iPhone number, your watch receives a smart notification.