How to Set Up an Apple Watch for Your Kids (2026)

Unpairing is supposed to erase all content and settings on your watch, but in my case it doesn’t. If that doesn’t work for you either, tap Settings on the watch, then General > Reset > Erase all content and settings.

At this point you can ask your child to put it on (if charged). The watch will say Bring iPhone closer to Apple Watch. If you open the Watch app, it lets you choose to Setup for a family member. Point the phone’s viewfinder at the slowly moving animation to pair, or select Associate manually.

Apple’s tutorial is pretty straightforward from this point on. I chose a password that was easy for my daughter to remember and chose it from my family list. I continued cell service. Next, I set up all the usual features and services for an Apple Watch, including Ask to buy so she couldn’t buy anything on the App Store without my permission, MessagesAnd Emergency SOS.

I also chose to limit my daughter’s contacts on the watch. First, go to Settings > iCloud > Contacts on your phone and make sure it’s turned on. Then click on, return to Settings > Screen time > Family member > Communication limits. You must ask your child’s permission to manage their contacts and approve it from the child’s watch. Under their supervision, you can add and rename contacts from your contact list (Dad becomes “Grandpa”, Tim becomes “Uncle Timmy”, and so on).

The last stage lights up School timewhich is essentially a remote-controlled version of a Work Focus for adults. It blocks apps and complications, but emergency calls can still get through. The setup tutorial shows you how to set up Schooltime on your child’s watch, but if you skip it during setup, you can manage it later. On your iPhone, tap All watches > Your child’s watch > School time > Edit calendar.

I chose to turn School Time on when my child is at school and off during after-school care, but you can also click Add time If you want to turn it on during a morning class, take a break for lunch, then turn it back on. Your child can simply turn the digital crown to exit Schooltime, but that’s okay: you can also view their Schooltime reports on your iPhone.

To manage your child’s watch, go to your Watch > All watches > Family watches > Your child’s Apple Watch. This is how you install updates and manage settings. For more settings you can enable or disable, see Apple’s full list here. For example, you can check health details, set up a medical ID, or even edit their smart responses.

Fun for everyone

Just like with an adult Apple Watch, the first thing you’ll probably want to do is change the watch face. Hold the screen and wait for the face to shrink, then drag to change. (You’ll probably also want to purchase a small watch strap designed specifically for children.)

We got my daughter an Apple Watch so I could see her on Find My and she could contact me via phone or email. Messages app, which it does with unfortunate frequency.