Kids' Device Guide

How do I set up an Apple Watch for my child?

By Jason, father of two · Sources checked September 2026

Short answer

You set it up from your own iPhone: turn on the watch, hold it near your iPhone, and tap Set Up for a Family Member.[1] Your child needs a Child Account in your Family Sharing group first.[2] Setup then walks you through Ask to Buy, cellular service, trusted contacts, a Screen Time passcode, and Schooltime.[1]

Before you start

Your child must have a Child Account and be part of your Family Sharing group.[2] The watch must be a GPS + Cellular model, and you'll need your own iPhone nearby.[3][4] A cellular plan isn't required to set up the watch, but it's needed for some features.[1]

Set up the watch, step by step

These steps follow Apple's support article, which was updated in September 2026.[1]

  1. 1If the Apple Watch isn't new, erase it first.[1]
  2. 2Put the watch on your child, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.[2]
  3. 3Hold the watch near your iPhone, and when "Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch" appears, tap Continue.[1]
  4. 4Tap Set Up for a Family Member, then tap Continue.[1]
  5. 5Pair the watch by holding your iPhone over the animation on the watch, or tap Pair Apple Watch Manually, then tap Set Up Apple Watch.[1]
  6. 6Agree to the Terms and Conditions, choose a text size, and set a passcode for the watch.[1]
  7. 7Choose the family member who will use the watch, or tap Add Family Member, then enter their Apple Account password.[1]
  8. 8Turn on Ask to Buy if you want to approve downloads and purchases made on the watch.[1]
  9. 9Set up cellular: if your iPhone's carrier supports Apple Watch For Your Kids, you can add the watch to your plan now, or tap Not Now and use another supported carrier.[1]
  10. 10Choose whether to turn on other features, such as Location Services, Siri, Apple Cash Family, and emergency contacts.[1]
  11. 11Choose trusted people from your own Contacts app to share to the watch.[1]
  12. 12Set a Screen Time passcode for the watch, turn on Schooltime, and tap OK when you're finished.[1]

After setup

To change the watch's settings later, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap All Watches, tap the watch under Family Watches, then tap Done.[1] To schedule Schooltime, tap My Watch in the Watch app, tap the watch under Family Watches, open Schooltime, turn it on, then tap Edit Schedule.[5] Ask to Buy requests arrive in your Messages, where you can approve or decline them.[6]

Devices mentioned

Sources

  1. [1] Apple, Set up Apple Watch for a family member (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)
  2. [2] Apple, Set up an Apple Watch for your kid (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)
  3. [3] Apple, Apple Watch For Your Kids (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)
  4. [4] Apple, Use Apple Watch For Your Kids (Apple Watch User Guide, watchOS 27) (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)
  5. [5] Apple, Get started with Schooltime on your child's Apple Watch (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)
  6. [6] Apple, Approve your child's purchases, downloads, and requests (Manufacturer; checked September 2026)

We quote what each source says and don't add to it. How we verify

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