Apple Watch for Kids: Why I Chose One for My Daughter, and How to Set It Up

I bought my daughter an Apple Watch for four reasons. I wanted:

• her to be safe
• to know she had got where she was going
• her to be able to reach me, and me to reach her
• all of that without handing a young kid the open internet

A phone felt like too much. A watch did those four jobs and not much else, which was the point.

If you are weighing up the same thing, here is what each reason looks like on the watch, with Apple's own pages behind it, followed by the limits and the setup checklist.

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Is there an Apple Watch for kids?

Sort of. It is a normal Apple Watch, set up a different way. Apple calls the feature Apple Watch For Your Kids (it used to be called Family Setup). You set the watch up from your own iPhone, and your child wears it without needing an iPhone of their own.

The watch has to be a cellular model, and your child has to be in your Family Sharing group. On the current software, watchOS 27, Apple's guide lists a cellular Apple Watch SE 3 or Series 9 or later. Common Sense Media's guide to first phones lists the Apple Watch SE with this setup as one of the options to consider before a phone.

Reason 1: safety

The first thing I showed my daughter was Emergency SOS. Hold the side button and the watch calls emergency services. Apple says it needs a cellular connection, Wi-Fi calling or a satellite connection, which is one more reason to pick the cellular model and keep a plan on it.

It still works during school hours. Apple's kids page says that even when Schooltime is on, your child "can make Emergency SOS calls and call or text their designated emergency contacts". You can also add a Medical ID and emergency contacts during setup (Apple: set up Apple Watch for a family member).

Reason 2: knowing they got there

This is the reason that earns its keep day to day. The Find My app on your iPhone shows where the watch is, and you can set Location Notifications that tell you when your child arrives at or leaves a place. Apple's examples are "school, home, soccer practice, or a friend's house" (Apple Watch For Your Kids). More than one parent can see the location.

You switch Location Services for Find My on during setup. It is a check-in, not a perfect tracker: SafeWise's review notes there is no location history log, so you see where the watch is now, not where it has been.

Reason 3: they can reach you

The watch makes and takes calls and sends texts, by voice if typing on a small screen is too fiddly. Apple puts it plainly: "Kids can make and receive calls and texts virtually anywhere with the contacts you approve" (Apple Watch For Your Kids).

Day to day, we keep in touch with iMessage. You choose who can reach the watch from your own Contacts app, and you can lock the list down later in Screen Time on your iPhone (Apple support). That is what I did: only the people I approved can get through, and nobody else can call or message her.

Reason 4: it is locked down

This is what made a watch feel safer than a phone for us. Everything is run from your iPhone:

• Schooltime blocks apps and notifications during the school hours you set. A yellow circle on the watch face shows it is on. Your child can step out of it to check a message or make a call, and you get a report of when and for how long (Apple Child Safety guide).
• Approved contacts, as above.
• Ask to Buy, so you approve every download and purchase (Apple support).
• Screen Time limits and restrictions, set and changed from your phone.

Common Sense Media sums up the appeal of a kids' watch well: "basic calling and GPS tracking without internet access or social media", and "you control exactly who can contact your child" (Common Sense Media).

What it will not do, and what it costs

A kid's Apple Watch is not perfect, and you should know the trade-offs before you buy.

• You need the cellular model. Apple says a cellular plan is not needed to set the watch up, but "is necessary for some features" (Apple support). Without a plan, calls, texts and location only work near known Wi-Fi.
• It costs more than a kids' watch. The Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249 for the GPS model on apple.com, and you need the GPS + Cellular version, which costs more. On top of that comes the plan: the big US carriers charge about $10 a month for a watch line (US Mobile comparison; check your carrier).
• It needs charging every night. Apple quotes up to 18 hours for the SE 3 and up to 24 hours for Series 12 (Apple Watch compare). A watch that went to school on 20% will not make it home.
• Activity works a little differently for under-13s. Kids under 13 can use Move minutes rather than active calories for the Move ring (Apple support). It is a better fit for a child, and it is the setting to look for if the rings look odd.
• Some features are adults only or missing. Fall Detection is for users 18 and older. Sleep, ECG, Blood Oxygen, Cycle Tracking, Audiobooks, News and Shortcuts are not available on a kid's watch (Apple support).
• Not every country. Apple Watch For Your Kids is not available in Italy, Korea, mainland China and some other places, and some corporate cellular plans do not support it (Apple support). Apple Cash Family is US only.

Why would your child want to wear an Apple Watch?

What age is right?

There is no magic number. Common Sense Media says of first phones that "there's no one-size-fits-all answer" and that "your child's readiness matter[s] more than any particular number" (Common Sense Media). The same goes for a watch.

A better test is whether your child can do three things: wear it every day, put it on the charger at night, and understand what Emergency SOS is for. If they can, the controls do the rest. If your child is under 13, you create their Apple Account for them during setup.

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The fun reason to wear it

A watch only helps if it is on the wrist. Kids notice quickly when a watch is all rules and no fun.

I built WatchieBesti for my daughter when her watch pet app stopped working, so take this part with that in mind. It is a little pixel pet that lives on the watch, and it feels every move your child makes: it is sleepy before they have moved, happy once they get going, and a still day only makes it a bit sad until a run around or a dance cheers it up. It never scolds.

It works on a kid's watch with no iPhone, there is no account to make, and no ads and no subscription. The first pet is free.

Looking for more? We checked nine apps that run on a kid's watch without an iPhone, with prices and age ratings, in the best apps for a kid's Apple Watch.

The setup checklist

If your child has no iPhone of their own, the watch goes through Apple Watch For Your Kids, run from your phone. Our step-by-step Family Setup guide walks through every screen, and Apple's page, Set up Apple Watch for a family member, has the official requirements. Set aside 15 minutes with both devices on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and your iPhone close to the watch.

Five settings to check before you hand it over

1. Schooltime. Turn it on during setup and add the school timetable, or the watch buzzes in class.
2. A Screen Time passcode. Set one for the watch during setup, so the limits stay in your hands.
3. Allowed contacts. Turn on Contacts in iCloud on your iPhone, then choose the trusted people your child can reach.
4. Location. Switch on Location Services for Find My, then set Location Notifications for school and home.
5. Emergency SOS. Show your child how it works and tell them it is for real emergencies.

Keep the app list short and read the fine print

Every app you add is one more thing to supervise. Before you install anything, check the age rating, the App Store privacy label, and whether the app pays for itself with ads or a subscription. Our guides on how kids' fitness apps handle data and what subscriptions cost a family explain what to look for. For apps that work on a kid's watch with no iPhone, see the best apps for a kid's Apple Watch.

Before you hand it over

1. Finish setup a day or two early. Pairing sometimes fails and needs a restart of both devices.
2. Install the few apps you want and open each once, so they are ready.
3. Charge it overnight.
4. Go through the ground rules together: what Schooltime does, who is on the contact list, and when to use Emergency SOS.

Questions parents ask

Is there an Apple Watch for kids?

There is no kids' model. Any cellular Apple Watch can be set up for a child with Apple Watch For Your Kids (formerly Family Setup). On watchOS 27 that means a cellular Apple Watch SE 3 or Series 9 or later.

Does my child need their own Apple Account?

Yes. The watch signs in with your child's own Apple Account, and your child must be in your Family Sharing group. If they are under 13 and have no account, you create one during setup. Your own Apple Account needs two-factor authentication turned on (Apple support).

How does Family Setup work?

In the Watch app on your iPhone, tap All Watches, then Add Watch, and choose Set Up for a Family Member. Pair the watch, sign in with or create your child's Apple Account, and set a passcode. After that you manage Schooltime, Screen Time, contacts and Ask to Buy from your own iPhone. You must be the family organiser or a parent or guardian in Family Sharing.

Does my child need an iPhone?

No. Your iPhone sets the watch up and manages it. It needs to be within Bluetooth range (about 10 metres) to change settings or update the software (Apple guide).

Sources

• Apple Support, Set up Apple Watch for a family member
• Apple Watch User Guide, Use Apple Watch For Your Kids
• Apple, Apple Watch For Your Kids
• Apple Child Safety guide, Get started with Schooltime
• Apple, Apple Watch compare
• Apple Store, Apple Watch SE
• Common Sense Media, Parents' Ultimate Guide to First Phones
• SafeWise, Apple Watch for kids review
• US Mobile, Apple Watch carrier plan comparison (third party; check carrier sites)

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