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.
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.
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
Start a new topic or ask questions in the open forum.
