In today‘s hyper-connected world, it‘s not uncommon for consumers to juggle multiple devices to stay on top of communication and manage their digital lives. According to a 2021 Deloitte survey, the average U.S. household now has a total of 25 connected devices, up from 11 in 2019.
As our arsenal of gadgets grows, so does the headache of managing multiple phone numbers, contact lists, and messaging threads. That‘s where Verizon Number Share comes in. This nifty feature allows you to seamlessly connect up to 5 smartwatches, basic phones, or tablets to your main smartphone number.
Whether you‘re a busy parent, a fitness enthusiast, or just looking to streamline your device collection, Verizon Number Share is worth a closer look. In this ultimate guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know to make the most of this powerful tool.
Verizon Number Share is a feature that allows you to share your main smartphone‘s number and calling/texting capabilities with multiple connected devices. In a nutshell, it turns your additional gadgets into clones of your primary phone—no separate numbers or contact lists needed.
For example, let‘s say you have an iPhone 12 as your main device, plus a cellular Apple Watch for fitness and an older flip phone for emergencies. With Number Share, you can set both of those devices to send/receive calls and texts from your iPhone‘s number. If someone calls you, all three devices will ring simultaneously and you can answer from whichever one is most convenient.
Source: Verizon
The key benefits of Number Share include:
- Streamlined communication: No more missed calls or texts because your secondary devices have separate numbers.
- Device flexibility: Easily switch between your phone, watch, or other devices without losing context or history.
- Consolidated billing: Secondary devices share your primary phone‘s plan, with no need for additional line access fees.
- Professional presentation: Give out one number to clients or colleagues without compromising your personal device preferences.
The Growth of Connected Devices
To understand why Number Share is so useful, it‘s helpful to zoom out and look at the larger trend of device proliferation. In particular, the wearables market has exploded in recent years, as more consumers embrace the convenience and health features of smartwatches.
According to Statista, global smartwatch shipments reached 69.3 million units in 2019 and are projected to hit 109.2 million units by 2023. Apple Watch continues to dominate the space, with the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE selling more than 1 million units on their first day of availability in September 2020.
Source: Statista
For many consumers, smartwatches and other wearables are becoming an essential part of their daily lives. In a 2019 survey by Verizon Media, 43% of respondents said they use their smartwatch "constantly throughout the day"—a higher percentage than tablets, smart home devices, or other emerging tech.
As the wearables market matures, consumers are increasingly looking for ways to integrate these devices into their existing workflows and ecosystems. Features like LTE connectivity and seamless data syncing are becoming table stakes. Verizon Number Share takes the next logical step by allowing wearables to piggyback off the functionality of users‘ primary smartphones.
For most Verizon customers, Number Share will cost an additional $10 per month (plus taxes and fees) on top of their existing postpaid plan. This flat fee covers both the cost of standalone cellular connectivity for the connected device and the Number Share service itself.
Here‘s how it breaks down:
- Connected device access fee: $10/month per device
- Calling/texting: Draws from your primary plan‘s allowance
- Cellular data: Unlimited at 2G speeds for compatible smartwatches
If you already have a connected device on a standalone plan, you can typically switch to Number Share without paying anything extra. This is because Verizon‘s standalone wearable plans also start at $10/month for unlimited talk, text, and 2G data.
For example, let‘s say you currently pay $90/month for a Do More Unlimited smartphone plan with 5G, plus a separate $10/month connected device plan for your cellular Apple Watch. By switching your watch to Number Share, you‘d pay the same $100/month total, but gain the ability the use your primary number on both devices.
One important note is that if you‘re on an older shared data plan, the connected device access fee is in addition to the usual $20/month smartphone line access charge. So if you‘re currently paying $120/month for 10GB of shared data with 2 smartphones, adding a smartwatch on NumberShare would bring your total bill to $150 ($20 x 2 smartphones + $10 x 1 connected device + $100 shared data charge).
Of course, Verizon Number Share isn‘t the only way to streamline your connected device setup. The other major U.S. carriers offer similar multi-number solutions, and there are also some creative workarounds using third-party apps and services.
AT&T NumberSync and T-Mobile DIGITS
AT&T‘s NumberSync and T-Mobile‘s DIGITS are the most direct competitors to Verizon Number Share. Both allow you to share your main number with compatible connected devices for a $10/month fee.
The key differences lie in the details of what types of devices and functionality each carrier supports. For example, AT&T NumberSync doesn‘t currently allow cellular iPads to send/receive SMS messages from the shared number—a feature that Verizon Number Share does enable. T-Mobile DIGITS offers the unique ability to share numbers with devices on other carriers, but doesn‘t support as many recent smartwatch models as Verizon and AT&T.
Here‘s a quick comparison chart of the three services:
| Feature | Verizon Number Share | AT&T NumberSync | T-Mobile DIGITS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $10/device | $10/device | $10/device |
| Supported Devices | Smartwatches, basic phones, tablets | Smartwatches, basic phones, tablets | Smartwatches, phones, tablets, computers |
| SMS/MMS on tablets | Yes | No | Yes |
| Int‘l Roaming | 200+ countries at daily rate | Varies by device/plan | 200+ countries at daily rate |
Google Voice and Third-Party Apps
Another approach is to use a third-party service like Google Voice to create a "virtual" phone number that forwards to all your devices. Google Voice is a free service that provides a secondary number for calling and texting. You can link that number to ring multiple devices—including phones, tablets, and computers—whenever someone calls it.
Source: Google Voice
The main drawback of Google Voice is that it doesn‘t support SMS/MMS on connected devices like smartwatches. You also have to give out your Google Voice number for people to reach you on all your devices, which can be confusing if you primarily use your carrier-assigned cell number.
There are also a variety of paid third-party apps—like mysms and MightyText—that promise to sync texts and calls between your phone and other devices. However, these typically rely on your smartphone having an active Internet connection to forward the messages, which isn‘t as seamless as a carrier-level solution like NumberShare.
The Future of Connected Device Ecosystems
Looking ahead, it‘s clear that consumers are craving more unity across their expanding collections of connected devices. As 5G networks enable a new wave of wearables, smart home gadgets, and beyond, the need for streamlined communication and data sharing will only grow.
Verizon Consumer Group CEO Ronan Dunne sees Number Share as part of a larger strategy to create a more intelligent connected device ecosystem. "We‘re building a platform that brings together the best of our network, software, and device capabilities to enable a new generation of experiences," Dunne said in a press release announcing the feature.
By making it easier for consumers to use multiple devices with less friction, Verizon is also creating more touchpoints to understand and serve customer needs. "If we know you have a smartwatch, we can suggest relevant apps or behaviors to help you get the most from that device," said Dunne. "It‘s about using our network to enable a deeper relationship with the customer."
Other carriers and tech giants are also betting big on ambient computing and unified device experiences. Microsoft is developing a "cloud brain" to sync notifications and activities between Windows, Xbox, and mobile devices. Google is leveraging its Nest ecosystem to create a "helpful home" that anticipates users‘ needs. And Apple continues to tighten integration between iOS, Mac, Apple Watch, and its other hardware products.
In a blog post on 5G and the future of connected devices, Samsung‘s Head of NEXT Services Sankaran Murugan writes: "We are moving towards a world where devices are seamlessly interconnected and can talk to each other to offer customized, personalized and intelligent services…5G acts as the central nervous system to enable such experiences."
As connected device adoption accelerates, Verizon Number Share is a small but meaningful step towards that frictionless multi-device future. For consumers feeling the frustration of juggling multiple numbers and contact lists, it‘s a welcome taste of what‘s to come.
