Aloha Jango, thank you for asking us your question about the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic. The advertised Galaxy Watch8 Classic has been designed to handle hands-free calling and texting, however, this functionality may not work properly if you're experiencing connection issues with the phone or have incorrect settings in place. For a Bluetooth-only watch, it must be connected to your phone via Bluetooth and the Galaxy Wearable app. If the connection is broken, voice commands will not work. If you are away from your phone, the watch may not be correctly connected via Wi-Fi, preventing texts from sending. Toggle Bluetooth off and on, or restart both your phone and watch to restore the link. Hands-free requires the assistant to be fully activated, with permissions allowed for the microphone, contacts, and phone. If you are doing this for the first time, you must permit the mic function when prompted, or voice typing will not start. Open Bixby or Google Assistant and ensure it is fully set up, including passing the voice recognition test. Hope that helps! Feel free to reach out to Support if you have any other questions. Thanks for choosing Samsung! - Debra