Guide for Parents for Setting Up Apple Watch Parental Controls

If your child wants an Apple Watch but you’re unsure how it’s possible without them having their own iPhone, don’t worry. Previously unavailable, the advent of the Apple “Family Setup” feature has changed everything. 

You can buy an Apple Watch for kid without iPhone purchasing, and the watch will work. More importantly, you will get access to parental controls for Apple Watch, which will give you peace of mind and control over their device usage. Keep reading this review to learn valuable data about the Apple Watch parental controls. 

What Is Family Setup?

According to the information provided by Apple support, Apple Watch Family Setup is a great feature that allows your family members to enjoy all the benefits Apple Watch offers even if they do not have their own iPhone. So, if, for example, your kid does not have an iPhone, they can use their Apple Watch to make calls, send messages, and share their location with you. 

Once you set up an Apple Watch for children, you can use your or another parent iPhone to manage some of their watch’s capabilities. It’s important to remember that certain Apple Watch features depend on “having a companion iPhone and aren’t available on an Apple Watch that you pair using Family Setup”.

Requirements for Family Setup

1. To take advantage of Apple Watch parental controls, buy Apple Watch SE for kids or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with cellular and OS 7 or later.
2. Select the right companion for the Apple Watch for kids. It should be iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14 or later.
3. Apple ID for yourself and one for Apple Watch for your child. 
4. Apple Watch Family Sharing group that includes the name of your kid who is going to use an Apple Watch.  

There are certain Apple Watch Family Setup limitations you should know about. Your kid won’t be able to unlock a paired Apple’s Family Sharing group iPhone using an Apple Watch setup and won’t transfer tasks from the managed Apple Watch to the paired iPhone.

How to Pair and Set Up an Apple Watch for Kids

Well, how to set up an Apple Watch for a child?

1. Ensure the kids’ Apple Watch is fully charged before starting.
2. Create a passcode for the Apple Smart watch for kids, choosing one that is easy to remember.

If the Apple Watch is used, unpair and erase it from your settings:

1. Install the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 
2. Navigate to “All Watches”. 
3. Tap on “Info”. 
4. Select “Unpair Apple Watch.”

For setting up Apple Watch for child, follow the next guide:

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on “My Watch” and then “All Watches.”
3. Select “Add a Watch” and follow the prompts.
4. Choose to set it up for a family member, then continue to the next screen.
5. Position the Apple Watch within the app’s viewfinder and follow the further intrusion displayed on your screen. 

What Can You Monitor with Apple Watch Parental Controls

So, what can you monitor with Apple Watch parental controls? Parents have access to various features that can enhance their children’s safety when using an Apple Watch. These include location sharing and communication monitoring. This feature also blocks apps you think are harmful to your kid, allowing you to safeguard your children’s activities. So, let’s look at what you, as a parent, can monitor with an Apple Watch. 

Enable Emergency SOS

As a responsible parent, you can enable the emergency SOS feature on your kid’s Apple Watch. However, before you do it, you must explain the feature and how it works to your kid. It’s a useful feature that enables your kid to call emergency services urgently by simply holding their Apple Watch’s side button. By doing so, all the emergency contacts on your kid’s device will get your child’s location data. You can decide which contacts you want to receive these notifications from and include the people you can trust. 

Limit Your Child’s Contact List

Do you not want your kid to communicate with certain people? No worries. When setting up Apple Watch, you can choose the contacts with whom your kid can speak and who can’t. So, for example, if your kid experiences stress when communicating with their aunt or uncle, their parent with whom you are divorced, or a distant relative, you can forbid communication with them. 

How to choose the contacts your child can communicate with?

1. Open “Settings” on your phone. 
2. Click “iCloud”.
3. Choose contacts. 
4. Ensure it is toggled on.
5. Back to “Settings”. 
6. Choose “Screen time”.
7. Select a family member and click on communication limits.
8. Approve access to your kid’s Apple watch.
9. Limit contacts you want your kid to be able to communicate with. 

Create a Medical ID

Enabling Medical ID is a valuable feature designed to safeguard and assist your child in times of need, especially when you’re not physically present. For instance, if your child has allergies to certain medications or foods, having an Apple Medical ID on their device can help medical professionals, teachers at school, or daycares avoid giving them anything harmful. It also lets you easily share essential details like their date of birth, emergency contacts, and medical information. Plus, you can include their blood type. It’s like having extra protection for your child’s health. 

Schooltime

Do you want to eliminate distractions on your kid’s watch during school hours? No problems. There is a specific Apple Watch kids mode that will assist you with it. To do so, you should set up Schooltime on Apple Watch.  

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone. 
2. Tap “All Watches” and select your kid’s Apple Watch. 
3. Tap “Done” and then select “Schooltime”.
4. Switch on the “Schooltime” button. 
5. Now tap “Edit Schedule”.
6. Choose the days and times you want “Schooltime” to be active.
7. Tap “Add Time”. That’s it. 

Managing Payment Options

If you want to know what your kid spends on your costs, you should consider setting the “Ask to Buy” option on their device. With “Ask to Buy,” kids ask the family organizer (you) before buying or downloading anything new. You can say yes or no using your device. 

If desired, you can also use “Apple Cash Family” if your child is under 18 to manage payments through their Apple Watch on the go. 

Settings in the Activity App

When setting up your kid’s Apple Watch, you can open the activity app to increase or lower your child’s active calories. Moreover, you can set up their daily goals for moving, exercising, and standing. It allows you to monitor their weight and daily activities, promoting their overall well-being.

Walkie Talkie

Want to find your kid in a crowd? If so, Walkie Talkie will help. Both you and your kid should have an Apple Watch Series 1 or later with watchOS 5.3 or later. You must install the FaceTime app on your iPhones running iOS 12.4 or later to ensure you can initiate and receive FaceTime audio calls. 

How to do it?

1. Open the Walkie-Talkie app on your Apple Watch. 
2. Find your kid from the list of contacts and send them an invitation. 

3. Take your kid’s Apple Watch and accept an invitation (tap “Always Allow” in the notification on their watch’s screen).

4. Your kid’s name will appear in the “Friends You Invited” section of your Apple Watch, and their contact card will become yellow.
5. Now, you can communicate freely.  

Handwashing Timer

Do you want your kid to wash their hands properly? The Handwashing Timer is another useful Apple Watch child mode. By enabling this feature on their Apple watch, you will activate a 20-second timer that will tell be activates as soon as they start washing their hands and will be automatically turned off once they finish washing their hands. If they stop early, the timer prompts them to continue until the full 20 seconds are complete. 

Enhance Protection with uMobix Parental Controls

uMobix is an excellent cell phone tracker specially developed for parental control. It is an easy-to-use, utterly anonymous tool that does not require any technical skills. In addition to the GPS location feature, the GEOfinder uMobix feature allows you to find an accurate target’s location by sending a simple SMS text message with a special URL attached. Once the recipient taps the link, their real-time precise location data will be instantly shared with you. 

It’s the best tool for Apple’s parental controls and Android-operated ones. Using this spyware, you will be able to listen to your kids’ surroundings, monitor calls and text messages, detect teen dating apps, and much more to keep them safe on the internet. It’s an ideal solution for parents concerned about their kids’ online safety, as it allows them to stay informed about their whereabouts without causing inconvenience or intruding on their privacy. 

As a cherry on the cake, it is significantly cheaper than kids Apple Watch with GPS. It offers more tracking features for a mere $49/month or $12.49/month (if you choose a year subscription plan), enabling you to keep tabs on your child’s digital activities without burning a hole in your pocket.

Apple Watch Parental Controls Bottom Line

If your child has a modern Apple Watch, you can utilize Apple Watch parental controls to monitor their activities, including managing spending, tracking physical activity and diet, setting handwashing reminders, and even using the “Walkie Talkie” and “Emergency SOS” functions for safety. While these features are invaluable, setting them up can be time-consuming or difficult for some users. Thus, for a more straightforward solution, consider uMobix, which provides comprehensive cell phone tracking capabilities, making it easier to keep tabs on your child’s activities without hassle.