What to Put on a Kid's New Apple Watch: A Setup Checklist for Parents

A new Apple Watch is only half a gift. The other half is the time you spend before Christmas morning making it safe, quiet at school and worth wearing. Here is the short list, in the order that saves you the most trouble.

Set it up as your child's watch, not yours

If your child has no iPhone of their own, the watch has to go through Family Setup, run from your phone. Our step-by-step Family Setup guide walks through every screen, and Apple's own page, Set up Apple Watch for a family member, has the official requirements. Family Setup needs a cellular Apple Watch and a Family Sharing group that includes your child. WatchieBesti needs watchOS 11 or later, which means an Apple Watch Series 6 or later. If you have not done that yet, start with how to set up Family Setup, then come back to this list.

Five settings to check before you wrap it

1. Schooltime. Apple describes it as a feature that limits Apple Watch features during a child's school hours. Turn it on during setup and add the school schedule, 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. You can change the list later in Screen Time.
4. Location. You can switch on Location Services for the Find My app during setup, so you can see where the watch is.
5. Emergency SOS. Holding the side button starts an emergency call. Apple says it needs a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling, so show your child how it works and tell them it is for real emergencies.

What the watch will not do for a child

Two features parents often count on come with limits. Apple's Family Setup page says Fall Detection is available for users 18 and older, so do not treat it as a safety net for a child. It also says Apple Cash Family, which lets under-18s pay and send money in Messages with Apple Pay, is available in the United States only. If neither matters to you, skip both.

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. Install from the Watch app on your iPhone.

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The fun slot: something that gets them moving

A watch full of settings needs one thing your child actually wants to open. WatchieBesti is a digital pet that lives on the watch and grows with the steps your child takes.

• It works standalone on Family Setup. Your child needs no iPhone and no account.
• The pet never dies. Its worst mood is peaceful sleep, so a lazy day is not a punishment.
• There are 8 moods to spot, plus 11 Brain Boost mini-games for short breaks.
• No leaderboards, no chat, no social features. Your health data is yours. We never see it.
• It is rated 9+ and COPPA compliant.

It is free to download and the first pet is included. No ads, no subscription. Optional one-time kingdom unlocks add more pets, and Family Sharing means a purchase covers up to six family members.

Before you wrap it

1. Finish Family Setup a day or two early. Pairing sometimes fails and needs a restart of both devices.
2. Install WatchieBesti from the Watch app on your iPhone and open it once, so it is ready when the watch comes out of the box.
3. Tell your child the ground rules: what Schooltime does, who is on the contact list, and when to use Emergency SOS.

That covers the settings. If you want to see what the pet side looks like, the Apple Watch pet overview shows it in action.

Download WatchieBesti Now!