Number Share - SMS Text Messaging Problem

With the current state of the Number Sharing technology it is working as expected and marketed by Verizon.

Powering the device off is causing that issue. You don't have to be near your phone, but it does have to be on and connected to the Verizon network for proper function. Likewise if the host phone was in airplane mode or on a roaming network the functionality would also be limited.

It makes sense that the calls are showing your host number with the phone off, it's very simple for the network to seamlessly forward the incoming calls from your host number directly to your watch number. Likewise in reverse the Number Sharing feature simply spoofs your outgoing caller ID to display the host number instead of the number in the watch.

SMS/MMS would work a bit differently as to send/receive the messages using the host phone number instead of number in the watch the network would need to access the Gear S3 app on the host device. When sending a text from the watch it would actually pass through the network to the Gear S3 app on the host phone and then use that device to deliver the message to the recipient so that it can display your phone number. (Even if the phone is not near you). For the reverse to work the incoming texts to your phone number would be forwarded from your device to your watch number via the Gear S3 App. Neither of those could work with the phone off due to the security of the messaging platform technology, and because multiple device IDs cannot actually be assigned the same phone number since that's cloning which is illegal.

From the Number Sharing FAQ link posted by the OP-

NumberShare is a service that lets you use your mobile number on up to 5 connected devices. Send and receive calls and messages on whatever device is at hand, even if you're away from your phone

Note: This should work if the host device is a Samsung smartphone that's powered on and connected to the network

All comments

TommyBayshore,

We definitely want this feature to work in the fullest for you. At this time there are limitations with messaging and issues such as what you are experiencing may occur. We apologize for this inconvenience but rest assured we are always working to improve our products and services so please stay posted for updates by visiting our website often www.vzw.com.

AdamG_VZW

If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

TampaRaleigh

I have the same issue, but texting is important to me. When I text from my watch, sometimes it comes through as my phone's number, sometimes as my watch number. And I only received texts that are sent to my watch number. Texts to my phone's number don't come through at all.

The deciding factor for me in buying the Gear S3 was the Number Share feature. If this doesn't work, I'll be returning it to the store. Any updates on when this might be fixed?

I'm very disappointed.

sumetiya

I can't to receive my text Verizon codes

I, too purchased the Gear S3 because the VZW site makes clear that both calls and texts can be sent and received on the S3 from the shared number even if the phone is off, and without using the Message+ app. The messaging has not worked at all in this regard. Why is VZW still marketing the feature/service if it does not work? Seems pretty deceptive to claim a feature that the device/service does not have. Plaintiff's lawyers love that kind of false advertising.

Being able to send and receive text messages are very important, sumetiya. I want to make sure that we're on the same page. Are you having issues with all of your text messages? Or are you trying to make changes to your My Verizon account and we're trying to send you a secure code to enter online? Please provide me with some details.

KevinR_VZW

If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

With the current state of the Number Sharing technology it is working as expected and marketed by Verizon.

From the Number Sharing FAQ link posted by the OP-

NumberShare is a service that lets you use your mobile number on up to 5 connected devices. Send and receive calls and messages on whatever device is at hand, even if you're away from your phone

Note: This should work if the host device is a Samsung smartphone that's powered on and connected to the network

With all due respect, you are not correct. In online marketing material and with in-store and telephone support, VZW expressly says that both calls and messages can be sent and received even if the "host" phone is off.

According to VZW tech support, NumberShare for Gear S3 is a different set up than under Messages + and the "host" is actually the number, not the device, and all the routing is done by VZW servers. For the Gear S3, this is simply a new version/extension of NumberShare. Unlike prior iterations, it does not require the customer to use the Messages+ app. Under prior versions, your phone had to be on so that the Messages+ app could forward messages, just like the Samsung Gear Manager app does.

Before I bought the watch, I confirmed this exact feature with all of the resources listed above. Since I bought the watch and reported the problem, VZW has said they are aware of this as a "problem". They have not denied that it is supposed to work as described. Even the replie above from VZW do not say the feature is not supposed to be available.

I just don't think they should keep marketing a feature that doesn't yet exist. If they want to say calls are currently supported and messages are coming soon, fine. But some of us bought the watch in reliance on the statement that it works now, which it does not.

That sucks that it had been explained to you incorrectly! There was never any marketing material stating what you're claiming however. If it exists please do post a link to it here and prove me wrong of course as the internet is forever.

As the original poster here confirmed, depending on configuration it is possible for calls and messages can be sent and received from an extension device when the host device is off, however due to limitations of the service features the host device number is not always used. The PROOF of the host device needing to be ON this is on the Verizon website at this link, under #2 in the 'Troubleshooting' section, on Verizon's website right here-

NumberShare FAQs | Verizon Wireless where it states- "What should I check if messaging doesn't seem to be working properly on the shared number?" "This should work if the HOST DEVICE is a Samsung smartphone that's powered ON and connected to the network. You may notice some limitations in other scenarios."

The website has never stated a host device could be off for Number Sharing to work as you claim, rather it used terms like "Send and receive calls and messages on whatever device is at hand, even if you're away from your phone". This PROOF is on the Verizon website at the Number Sharing link posted above under 'General Information' section #1.

Regarding this part of your post- "NumberShare for Gear S3 is a different set up than under Messages + and the "host" is actually the number, not the device, and all the routing is done by VZW servers"... The first part of that sentence is the one part of your post that is actually correct, as Number Share is totally different from Messages+. I'm not sure why that's being mentioned though as the Messages+ app and functions have nothing to do with this subject, and hadn't been mentioned until you brought it up. The second part of that sentence makes no sense though so it's unfortunate that you heard that from technical support. As stated on the Verizon website PROOF that a HOST DEVICE with the Gear S3 app setup on it is required for Number Sharing at that same link above under-

"Is my device eligible to use NumberShare?

If you have an HD Voice-capable smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network, it can be used as a "host" DEVICE and share your mobile number with other devices.

If it really was just the Number doing the hosting as you stated then the sharing feature would not require a capable device or an app, it would work with just a number which is obviously not the case as the Verizon website also states at that same link under the Setup and Sharing section #1- "Make sure the Samsung Gear S3 app is downloaded on your HOST DEVICE. If needed, download the Samsung Gear app from your device's App Store"

Telephone numbers just by themselves cannot 'host' anything, they are used for routing purposes. If they could, then the Samsung smartphone with the Gear S3 app wouldn't even need to exist for the Number Sharing feature to work properly. If that was possible then one could use these features with just any old phone, even a basic old phone. But again, that's not the case as stated in directly online from the service provider.

I stand by my comments. I saw the same materials you cited and wondered if the phone had to be on and connected to the network for call and message sharing to work. When I asked the in-store rep about this capability, he answered that yes it would share calls and messages if the "host" device was off. When I was skeptical, he then showed me a web page on his VZW tablet indicating that the calls and messages would be shared even if the device registered to the host number is tuned off. I do not know if that page is available generally online as I cannot find it now. When I called Verizon tech support before purchasing the device to see if I got the same answer, they read back exactly the gave me the same answer and looked up and read back to me the same language and confirmed that call and message sharing would work if the "phone assigned to the "host" number" (their exact words) was off.

After I purchased the phone and called to say call sharing was working but messaging was not working if the "host" phone was off, the Verizon tech support said that messaging should also work, but they were having problems, were aware of the problems as others had complained and that I would get a text message when the messaging part of the service was fixed. I don't think all of these separate people (especially tech support, who are not selling) were lying just to sell one watch.

The notion that the number cannot be a "host" doesn't square with the fact that call sharing works fine if the "host" phone is turned off. That "host number" routes calls without the "host device" being on. Only shared messaging is not yet working.

The fact that all devices are not yet configured to handle this type of sharing capability may well be why it took VZW so long to come out with the Gear S3.

And prior to the Gear S3 rollout, NumberShare only worked if the host and extension devices had Messages+ installed

Prior to the Gear S3 release just 17 days ago Number Sharing didn't exist on Verizon, they launched it on June 8th 2017. The Gear S3 is the only device that Verizon currently offers as an extension device for the Number Sharing Feature. This is stated on the Verizon website page for the Number Sharing FAQ link above also under 'General Information' #3, which states-

"The new Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch on the Verizon Wireless network is the first device that can be used as an extension."

Messages+ doesn't use the Number Sharing Feature, it doesn't use hosts or extensions. it uses the Integrated Messaging feature, which is completely separate from Number Sharing and operates differently. It's details are on the Verizon website here- (Verizon Messages (Message+) FAQs | Verizon Wireless )

It sounds like some customers and employees are confusing the functionality of the 'Integrated Messaging' feature used by the Messages+ app with the functionality of the 'Host/Extension' devices used by Number Sharing, especially because this is brand new.

Technical support groups do have some sales goals to meet, but I certainly agree I wouldn't think they'd necessarily lie about that intentionally, more likely since they were already familiar with Messages+ with Integrated messaging that they assumed the functionality would be similar to that when discussing the Number Sharing feature which they had never used before. I also agree that a lot of this likely affected the watch release date too.

For the call functions as I mentioned before, the incoming ones are forwarded from the number in the host device to the number in the extension device, while outgoing calls from the extension device spoof the caller ID feature to display the number in the host device. This is seamless as it's done by the network which is why the host device can be off.

For example, you could set up call forwarding from your phone number to mine and it would still work if you turned your phone off. Similarly I could use an android app on my phone like 'Caller ID Faker' from the play store to call my co-worker but have her caller-ID display my boss's phone number instead of mine to play a joke on her. (Which I've done and it's super fun!) This would also work regardless if the boss's phone was on or off as that's also a network functionality.) Messaging does not work that way as they can't spoof the Number when sending or auto-forward on incoming from the network, they currently need to use device specific applications to provide the functionality like the host device Gear S3 app for Number Sharing or the Messages+ for Integrated Messaging.

MATLOE31

I have a Frontier LTE and IPhone. Numbershare for phone call works perfectly. About two weeks ago Verizon I.T. told me that the Numbershare for texting is not working yet and there was no roll out date. The IT guy said this means it most likely would be longer than a month away.

MATLOE31

I definitely got the idea from dealing with Verizon at the stores and Verizon telephone support, that the Numbershare was so new they really weren't educated on it. The telephone support guys said they weren't had the had to keep on checking the manuals to make sure what they were telling me was accurate.

Following up on the conversation I had with Deloused, I tested the messaging sharing function with the phone On and connected but with Samsung's Gear Manager Remote Connection function turned off to see if Numbershare would work with calls and messaging while both the watch and phone are on. Again, call sharing works regardless of whether the phone is on, while message sharing across the devices does not work at all. Without Samsung's separate app/server routing through the Gear Manager Remote Connection turned on, Numbershare does not currently work as advertised. Thus is consistent with what I was told by VZW tech support about this being a feature VZW knows should be working but doesn't and that VZW is working on it.

The bottom line is that, despite VZW saying that both calls and messages would work across devices with Numbershare (even if you require both the phone and watch turned on, which contradicts what VZW people showed me in writing and told me several times on the phone), Numbershare currently does NOTHING to share messaging at all. The only way to get message sharing to work with the Gear S3 from the phone's number is to have the phone and watch on and connected and to have the Gear Manager Remote Connection enabled.

Has vzw come up with a fix for this problem yet or is anyone even working on one? I bought the watch last week and was told the same thing by the sales person. I text a lot and was the main reason I purchased it because in the Tennessee heat I don't have my phone in my pocket on the job site.

Not that I know of. The best solution is to make sure that you activate the Remote Connection feature in the Gear Manager appmij your phone. Then, leave your phone powered on and connected to the internet via cellular or Wi-Fi. To test the connection, turn off Bluetooth on either the phon or watch. Within a minute or so, you can tell if it is remotely connected by swiping down from the top of the watch face. If it says you are remotely connected, you can send and receive messages from the watch via the phone"s number. You are good to go. Turn Bluetooth back on. If, on the other hand it says "standalone", you are not remotely connected and messages to your phone will not be routed to the watch and vice versa. You can message from the watch but it will use the watch's dedicated number.

I do have it in remote mode on the phone but watch continues to stay in standalone mode.

Thank you, it seems to be working but now the speech to text is not

I had the same issue. I never had this problem when I had a T-Mobile Gear S3. I found it helped a lot when I changed the S-Voice language from English US to English UK. Good luck.

Yes that worked, thank you so much

You are completely wrong about everything you mentioned, back in the day (a year ago or more) you are right, but with the new number share technology Verizon is marketing your mobile phone can be completely OFF, you can fly to California and you would still get calls and texts routed to your phone pushed to your watch, they also make it VERY clear that you can make calls from your watch and send as your mobile number even with the mobile off, if you had to keep the phone on the watch would be useless as many people leave it on their way to work and the battery dies, that's when the watch comes in very handy.

Their technology on the texting end is not working correctly, the phone piece is working correctly it's just texting that is still [Removed] up.

inappropriate content removed as required by the Verizon Wireless Terms of Service

Message edited by Verizon Moderator

Just to let everyone know, the texting piece is still not working with number share. Many techs have told me "that feature" will work soon but not yet, so its something they are working on. As far as the phone part with the watch, that works perfect, no issues with that at all and i don't use Verizon message plus, i use Samsungs built in messaging app and that does not work if my phone is off, it actually does work if someone sends to the watches unique number but that's pretty useless since know one will know whose number that is if i text from my watch. Verizon employees are definitely not up to speed on number sharing, i had numerous techs and store employees act shocked when it didnt work correctly.

Dzynda,

Apologies if you have already figured this out, but you do not need to turn off Bluetooth entirely for the Gear Manager Remote Connection feature to work. Once enabled on the phone in the Gear Manager app, it will work automatically when the BT connection between the watch and phone is severed. Then, assuming you have set your watch's cellular connection to either "Auto switch" or "Always on", when you leave your phone and BT is severed, your watch connects to the network via its own LTE connection. If the phone is also powered on, then the two devices will connect over the internet through Samsung's servers. It may take a minute, but you should then see the "remotely connected" message in your watch pull-down status screen. Using the BT connection when the watch and device are together will save a lot of watch battery life if you set it's mobile network connection to "Auto switch".

Again, apologies if this is restating what you already knew.

There is predictive text in the watch under settings, input and speech, input, keyboard settings, more settings, smart typing

Ok, I will try all that out thank you for the information.

FILTHIMONEY

Hoping you guys can help me out. After a week of technical issues I have got my Gear s3 connected to my HTC m9 via numbershare.

8316 - Numbershare

3858 - Watch

Bluetooth is off on both devices, confirmed connected via LTE ("remote connection").

When I make calls on watch it uses the 8316 number. Great

When the 8316 number is called it rings on my watch. Great

When I send a message via the watches messaging app I have the option to use either number. Great

When the 8316 number is texted, phone receives message, watch does not. NOT Great...

I can receive "notifications" of texts by "ticking" the option under the samsung gear app on phone but am unable to reply to them on the watch, only option is to "show on phone".

This works on both the verizon message+ app and the stock messaging app (just have to make one or the other default app on phone)

Its great to know that my phone was texted and to be able to read the text.. but I find it completely useless that I need my phone to reply. The alternative is receive notification, go back to messaging app then compose a brand new text then manually select the 8316 number .....not ideal...

Hi,

VZW has confirmed that the NumberShare service works for calls (which it does, even if the phone is powered off), but is not yet working for messaging. Until and assuming VZW gets it fixed (especially since VZW is still marketing Numbershare as working for both calls and messages), you should be able to send and receive messages from the watch as if from your phone if your Gear Manager app has a Remote Connection option and it is turned on. This allows the phone and watch to route notifications, messages and received email and responses (but not newly created emails) through Samsung servers, which make them appear to you and your messagee as if they were sent and received by the phone only.

The caveat is that for Remote Connection to work, both the watch and phone must be powered on and connected to the internet by LTE or wifi. If the phone is off, the watch will not get notifications and messages to the phone. Any message sent from the watch will use its dedicated number.

First, if you have the Samsung Gear Manager app installed on your HTC phone, there should be an option for "Remote Connection". On my Samsung Galaxy S8, it appears in the Gear Manager app under the "Settings" tab. Then scroll down to and tap the "Gear connection" setting. You should then see the "Remote connection" option. Toggle it on.

This will start your phone forwarding notifications and messages to Samsung servers, which will then route them to your Gear S3. Likewise, when remotely connected, you will be able to send messages and respond to notifications, emails (if you use Gmail and perhaps if you set up an existing account in the Gear Manager app under the apps tab and by tapping the email settings cog icon).

You will know that the remote connection feature is working if you swipe down from the top of your Gear S 3 homescreen. A settings screen will appear that will indicate whether your watch is connected by BT, "remotely connected", or is "standalone", meaning not connected to the phone at all. Be patient, sometimes it helps to reboot the watch (hold the home button down for about 7 seconds). Your phone's notification area should also indicate the type of connection to the S3.

To save battery life on your S3, you should make sure to set your watch to only use the cellular network radio and connection when the BT connection between the watch and phone is severed. If you do, you will only have the watch cellular radio on if you are not or cannot connect by BT. When you are connected by BT, "auto switch" turns the watch's cellular radio off. Saves tons of juice.

To do this, on your S3, tap Settings, Connections, Mobile Networks, Gear network and select "auto switch".

You should be good to go. Enjoy.

FILTHIMONEY

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I have reset and setup both devices

exactly how you have described. By default neither messaging app are

selecting under notification settings on the gear app. The only way I am

alerted to messages on my watch is if I select one or both of the apps

under notification settings inside gear app on phone. I also must select

either app as default app on the phone to receive the alert on watch.

I am unable to reply to either notification on watch. Only option is to

open on phone which then prompts me to connect via bluetooth

Unfortunately, I thought that might be the case. As the Gear Manager app is tied into Samsung's stock messaging app, its Remote Connection servers probably don't support anything more than notifications for other messaging apps . I do know there are some apps in the Galaxy app store that claim to be able to allow responses and messaging from other messaging apps like whats app and FB Messenger. You can also download the stock apps for the S8 and see if you can get the messaging app to work. If it does, the Gear Manager app may then work for messaging. I found a link for such a download here: MEGA. Good luck.

M3GRSO

I have the same issue, though I managed to get it partially resolved.

Partially resolved is the key here...

I have the following:

Nexus 6P
Gear S3

Obviously, my Gear S3 has it's own number, I can receive notifications when in standalone mode; however, while my outbound calls from my Gear S3 display my Host/Nexus 6P number, text messages aren't really working right. They still show that Gear number assigned to it that I wish not to memorize, nor should I have to.

Here's the partially resolved part, instead of using the Google Messages app, the Verizon Tech persuaded me to use the Verizon Message+ app. Here's what's odd though, it actually worked -- kind of.

In my testing, only text messages I send to Verizon subscribers do text messages from my Gear S3 in Standalone Mode appear as my Nexus number. Messages I send to other subscribers, like my work S8 (TMO) or my friend's iPhone (ATT) messages still show up as that alien number than belongs to my Gear S3.

Lord knows, I don't understand it, I don't get it. Verizon doesn't understand it, I question whether they care about it, but those are my issues regarding messaging with my Gear S3.

Still not technically resolved.

(Also, I don't really like the Message+ app. Looks antiquated, like a app written back when Jelly Bean 4.2 was new.)

M3FRSO,

Receiving messages from different numbers can be confusing. Let's keep going. What number displays when you used the standard messaging app? KatiM_VZW

If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

It is simple. Numbershare does not work AT ALL for messaging. It works fine for calls.

The only way to have messages sent and received from/by the watch as if from the phone's number is to use Samsung's Gear Manager app and enable the Remote Connection feature. This routes messages through Samsung servers so that messages from the watch go through the servers and are then sent/received from the phone. And then it only works if the phone is on and connected to the internet.

If you turn off the phone, or turn off Remote Connection, messages from the watch show and come from its dedicated number. And messages to the phone do not show up on the watch.

Now, months later, VZW continues to market this feature (which was a big reason I bought the watch) despite that it has never worked. The longer this goes on, the more angry customers you will have.

HAPPY to report that as of today with my host phone completely shut off, my S3 Frontier is now receiving texts sent to my cell phone (while my cell phone is off), also when i compost a new text and send it it shows up as my cell phone number. This was my original problem which now seems to be fixed, the answer above is inaccurate.

It works fine now, even with the phone off.

Glad it is working for you. I still have no luck. I chatted with VZW support today and got the same old answer: this is a known issue and they are working on it. The only difference is that they now say they are waiting for Samsung to send out an update.

Here it is, six months later, and one of the core marketed feature of numbershare does not work on the first device to support it. And yet, VZW continues to advertise that you can share calls and messages via Numbershare with the phone off. Lawyers call that a deceptive trade practice.

Can you tell me if you did anything particular to get this to work? I spent over an hour on the phone with VZW tech support today. This very helpful woman ran the issue up several levels and reported back what she was told.

Contrary to what I had been told several times before by VZW support and sales staff, Numbershare will NOT work for messages if the phone is off and it was not supposed to. She was told we need to use either the Gear Manager remote connection feature or Messages Plus (which the VZW web site expressly says you do not need to use).

In my prior tech support contacts, as recently as last week, I was told this is a known issue and that a fix was in the works. The woman today said her higher-ups told her there is no issue, there is no fix in the works and it is what it is.

Beyond frustrating how so many VZW people just lie to get you off the phone and to the next call.

Diana from today asked me to send her this thread and she took it to bring it to higher up tech people. She is going to call back tomorrow. And I believe her because she called me back after two hours today.

I have tried resetting the watch and rebooting it and the phone. Any idea how you got I to work for you?

cavny0321

Today (04-15-19), Verizon Wireless still does not have this figured out. I purchased the Gear s3 Frontier 08-30-18 and have not been sent 3 watches and spent well over 15 hours on the phone with Verizon people, who cannot get the text messaging side of the watch to text from the phone when not connect through bluetooth, even though the phone is on. I have several friends who have the exact same phone and watch as I do, however they have T-Mobile and they have never had a problem like this. It is a problem with Verizon, not knowing how to setup their two number forewarding on devices like this. What a waste of my time. Verizon, please DONT offer a product that you do not know how to support!

dsifer

YOu are wrong. VZW is selling this as described by the 5 other folks on here. I was also douped into this. When I called I was told this was a Samsung issue.

VZW - you need to get details to your employees dealing with this issue in a sales capacity and troubleshooting capacity. Customers are tired of being mislead.

Clharben

So I have spent a garbage ton of time dealing with this. Today I got to a Level 2 Tech Support person who at first told me this doesn't work with older watches--I have the latest Active 2.

Then she went on to tell me that text message forwarding ONLY works when the host phone is "on and in range.". I have no idea what "in range" means. If that means in Bluetooth range, well, that defeats the whole point of me getting this watch and doing number share. What a joke...

Rdj1ss

What do we do if we have this issue and both devices powered on?

Lgalterio

My problem is different but related. My smart phone stopped working, cannot get it to power up.

Is there any way I can make it so that people who send an sms to my phone either get an "SMS not working" message, or some other message that I can create telling them alternative ways to text me?

I need the solution to work via my verizon until I can get another working phone with a SIM card because my original phone will not power up and I cannot do any action from the phone.

Thank you