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(Pocket-lint) - Apple has a bundle diagnostic for the Apple Watch called Family Setup. The diagnostic is designed to assistance you acceptable up and negociate an Apple Watch for either a kid oregon grandparent - adjacent if they don't ain an iPhone - whereby you power what apps they tin usage and however the smartwatch is used.
Here's everything you request to cognize astir Family Setup including what it tin bash and however it works.
What is Family Setup for Apple Watch?
- WatchOS 7 feature
- Allows kids and older adults to usage Apple Watch without iPhone
Family Setup is simply a diagnostic that was introduced successful the WatchOS 7 bundle update in 2020 that allows an Apple Watch to beryllium acceptable up done a genitor oregon guardian's iPhone, without the request to usage the iPhone thereafter. Prior to the Family Setup feature, to usage an Apple Watch you had to brace it with that user's iPhone.
With the Family Setup feature, you tin usage your ain iPhone to brace aggregate watches for children oregon aged household members, and they get their ain telephone fig and account, which you tin past assistance power from your device.
Apple Watch users who bash not person an iPhone tin inactive usage features similar Emergency SOS, Medical ID, FaceTime, Health app, and the App Store, arsenic the Watch has its ain number.
Family Setup besides introduces parental control-like features (think ScreenTime but for your Watch), similar determination tracking for children, a Do-Not-Disturb-like Schooltime mode to assistance kids enactment focused, and more.
Which devices enactment Family Setup?
- Only works with the cellular models of Apple Watch Series 4 oregon later
- Parent oregon guardians volition request iPhone 6s oregon later
Family Setup requires cellular models of Apple Watch Series 4 oregon aboriginal moving watchOS 7, paired with a genitor oregon guardian's iPhone 6s oregon aboriginal moving iOS 14 oregon later.
It volition not enactment connected the Apple Watch 3.
What tin you bash with Family Setup?
Children and older adults indispensable beryllium members of the aforesaid household to usage Family Setup. They volition each get their ain telephone fig done a abstracted cellular plan, and by utilizing their ain Apple ID, they tin usage services similar Calendar, Reminders, Messages, and more.
You, arsenic the parent, tin o.k. each contacts, truthful kids tin safely usage immoderate connection features.
Location tracking
There's the quality to acceptable up automation determination notifications, truthful you tin beryllium notified of your child's whereabouts.
Various locations tin beryllium added, and are each searchable via Apple Maps - you simply benignant successful your kid's schoolhouse for example, and past erstwhile you've acceptable up a determination you tin get notifications of erstwhile the arrive, leave, oregon is simply "not at" that location.
Beyond that you tin besides get regular alerts either "once" oregon "every time". And of course, you tin spot wherever they are via the Find my app, truthful you cognize if they're connected the mode location oregon inactive hanging retired astatine the section shops.
Schooltime
One of the concerns you mightiness person giving your kid an Apple Watch is that they'll get successful occupation astatine school. There is simply a "Schooltime mode" that efficaciously blocks the idiosyncratic from doing a clump of worldly similar playing with apps oregon loading up the calculator to assistance successful their maths lesson.
The ticker tin beryllium acceptable up to person aggregate schedules and tin see breaks. Schooltime blocks apps and complications and turns connected the Do Not Disturb feature. Only Emergency calls and notifications volition breakthrough. That means you tin substance them thing important, but they can't substance you back.
When connected the ticker look changes to diagnostic a large yellowish circle, and the idea, presumably, is that teachers volition yet go omniscient to the information that a yellowish ellipse means the ticker is locked and not get your kid successful trouble. Good luck with that.
In a further measurement to promote children not to tinker, you besides beryllium capable to spot however galore times your kid has tried to unlock the Apple Watch portion schooltime is turned on.
Communication limits
Beyond Schooltime, determination are wide connection limits and controls that tin beryllium set. You tin use limits to Phone, FaceTime, Messages and iCloud contacts, including whether to oregon not to enact that portion Screen Time and Downtime is on, nary skirting astir the edges etc. You'll besides beryllium capable to negociate and edit your child's contacts, take and edit astute replies for messages and adhd a Gmail account.
If they usage the Emergency SOS feature, you'll beryllium automatically notified if they are listed arsenic an exigency contact. You tin acceptable yourself up arsenic an ICE contact, nevertheless it won't enactment successful the aforesaid mode arsenic long-pressing the broadside fastener to telephone exigency services.
Apps
Apple Family Setup users (ie your kids) volition beryllium capable to entree the Watch App Store to download third-party apps straight connected their devices, but you'll beryllium capable to negociate what is disposable for them to download.
They'll besides beryllium capable to usage the Memoji app connected Apple Watch to make customized Memojis that tin beryllium shared portion messaging friends oregon displayed arsenic a ticker face.
Health and Fitness features
Apple has besides tweaked the Activity rings acquisition for children with a determination distant from Move calories to Move minutes. Additionally Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, and Outdoor Cycle workouts person been specifically tuned for kids. The motivational messages are tailored to applicable speechmaking levels, particularly fixed that users arsenic young arsenic six could present beryllium wearing an Apple Watch.
Perhaps much utile for those readying connected giving an Apple Watch to an older adult, is that you'll beryllium notified if the Apple Watch detects the wearer has had a autumn oregon reports irregular bushed supported connected newer Apple Watch models. The idiosyncratic volition person to springiness support first.
Apple Cash Family
In the US, parents volition beryllium capable to usage a diagnostic called Apple Cash Family to nonstop kids wealth to walk via Apple Pay. You tin besides presumption your child's purchases close successful Wallet connected your ain iPhone.
How to acceptable up Family Setup
- Must acceptable up Family Sharing and Apple IDs first
The archetypal happening you'll request to bash is marque definite the iPhone you are utilizing for the archetypal setup is wrong 10-metres of the Apple Watch. You'll besides request to marque sure you alteration Family Sharing and get an Apple ID for the kid oregon aged household subordinate of the household.
Cellular work is besides required to usage each Family Setup features.
After you've taken each these things into account, travel the steps beneath for Family Setup.
- Tell the household subordinate to enactment connected the Apple Watch and set it accordingly
- Turn connected the Apple Watch by pressing and holding the broadside fastener until the Apple logo appears
- Bring your iPhone adjacent the Apple Watch and hold for the pairing screen
- Press Continue
- Alternatively, unfastened the Apple Watch app connected your iPhone > All Watches > Pair New Watch
- Tap Set Up for a Family Member, past pat Continue connected the adjacent screen
- Position your iPhone truthful that the Apple Watch appears successful the viewfinder successful the Apple Watch app to brace the devices
- Tap Set Up Apple Watch. Follow the instructions.
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Writing by Stuart Miles and Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 15 September 2020.
English (US) ·