How to Set Up Apple Watch for Family Member: Detailed Guide

Apple Watch Setup for Family Member relieved the stress of many parents who are struggling to keep their kid healthy, learn how to set it up.

Up until now, to use Apple Watch with all the features, you would need to invest in iPhone, but now the time has changed, with watchOS 7 and iOS 14, you can set up Family Setup for Apple Watch. With Family Setup for Apple Watch, one can set up more than one Apple Watch on iPhone and allow them to use all the features like Health App, Listen to Apple Music, and more. We all know that Apple Watch is enriched with fitness-oriented functions, with Health app one can precisely track their workouts, activities, even without iPhone, using the Family Setup.

Besides, if you’re a parent and want to gift Apple Watch to your kid, the watchOS 7 and iOS 14 can give you full control over the features your kid can use on Apple Watch. We’ve prepared this detailed guide to assist you on how to set up Apple Watch for Family Member, in addition to how to restrict certain functions, so your kid could focus on studies rather than using the Apple Watch all the time.

How to Set Up and Use Apple Watch for Family Member

Pre-requisite to Set Up Apple Watch for Family Member

  • Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 14 or later.
  • Make sure the other watch you’re trying to pair is Apple Watch Series 4 or later and must be Cellular.

Features That Can be used with Paired Apple Watch for Family Member

Screen Time and Contacts Monitoring

Screen Time on Apple Watch is no different than that of the iPhone. If you’re a parent than I bet you might have to think twice before giving Apple Watch to your kid, but Apple has assured that you won’t regret this decision. You can easily limit the time to use the apps installed on Apple Watch, with which person your kid is talking to, and everything that you’re worried about.

All you need to do is open the Settings app > Screen Time > Choose your Kid’s Apple Watch and explore the screen time settings.

Schooltime

Well, the name itself suggests what this feature is about. Schooltime is specially released with the Apple Watch Family Setup. With the Schooltime feature, your child can stay focused on the studies, instead of spending time on using Apple Watch.

When you set the Schooltime, during that time, the Apple Watch won’t work. While setting up the Apple Watch, you may have seen the Schooltime option, but if you missed to set up or want to customize the Schooltime settings; open the Watch app, and do it.

Schooltime schedules can be customized in various ways like Every Day, Every Wednesday, and Customize Days along with the start and end time. Plus, Apple Watch will stay unlocked during break/recess time.

However, in case of emergency, your kid can unlock all the features of the Apple Watch, by pressing the Digital Crown, thankfully, you’ll be notified of this action.

Apple Cash Family

With Apple Cash Family, you can give Pocket Money or say Allowance to the kids that can be used on the stores or anywhere where the Apple Pay is accepted. Using the Messages App on iPhone or Apple Pay Messages feature or sending money through the Apple ID Email Address, you can always send money to in your Child’s Apple Pay Wallet.

Your kid can use and check the remaining balance from the Wallet App on Apple Watch. Apart from the given money, the child cannot use allowance without parental permission. Nevertheless, your child can send money to anyone, in that case, you should keep watch.

Moreover, parents would be given complete details regarding the purchase made by the kid.

Health and Activity

The Health and Activity services vary upon the age of your kid, if he/she is older than 13 years, then Apple Watch will display the standard metrics for the Calorie different Exercise, Moves, and more. And when it comes to kids under 13 years, the Apple Watch will show the workout in minutes.

Apple has updated the exercises and workouts especially for the kids such as Outdoor Run, Outdoor Cycle, Outdoor Walk, alongside the guidance by the Apple Watch to encourage the kid.

At the same time, if your kid has allowed you to access the Health data, then you can access the health data right from your iPhone.

Apps

Your kid can download applications and games from the App Store, directly in the Apple Watch. If you have enabled the Ask to Buy during set up then you’ve to approve the permission to purchase and download the app on Apple Watch. This setting can be changed from the Family Sharing options in the settings app of the iPhone.

Miscellaneous Features

  • Use Reminders
  • Walkie-Talkie
  • Family Calendar
  • FaceTime and Phone Calls
  • Create Customized Memoji from the Memoji App
  • See Photos if you’re allowed to
  • Maps for Navigation
  • Ask Siri for Translations and Questions
  • Workouts App
  • Emergency SOS
  • Access and Send Messages and Emails
  • Apple Music
  • Challenge your friend in Activity Competitions

Battery Life of Apple Watch when using Family Set Up

That said by Apple, when you’re using the Family Set Up for Apple Watch, it would last for almost 14 hours on a single charge when the following activities are done for the mentioned time period. Notably, the following predictions are based on the Apple Watch is operating on LTE over cellular connections.

  • 5-minute phone call
  • 70-time checks
  • 30 minutes workout along with Music
  • 20 minutes of App use
  • 45 notifications

Family Set Up Limitations

One of the biggest limitations of using Family Setup with Apple Watch Series 6 is, it won’t measure Blood Oxygen, doesn’t matter what’s your age is.

  • Sleep Tracking is not supported.
  • ECG is not available.
  • Irregular Heart Rate notifications are not supported.
  • Apps including Podcasts, Shortcuts, Remote, News, and Home are unavailable.
  • If you’re older than 18, then Fall Detection will work.
  • Apple Cash Family is limited to under 18 years of age group.
  • Apple Pay transactions using Credit, Debit, and Transit Card is not compatible.

Steps to Pair Your Child’s or other Apple Watch with iPhone

  1. Power on the Apple Watch.
  2. It shouldn’t be paired with any other iPhone or device, so erase it if you haven’t done yet. For those, who are pairing the Apple Watch with the iPhone out of the box, you don’t have to do anything.
  3. Keep the Apple Watch and iPhone closer.
  4. The Apple Watch card should pop-up on the iPhone, tap Continue.
  5. Or if it iPhone doesn’t show the Set Up Card, then open the Watch app and navigate to the Set up screen.
  6. Select Set Up for a Family Member.
  7. Read the Family Setup screen and tap Continue.
  8. Align the iPhone over the Apple Watch, keep note that the viewfinder on iPhone and the design on the Apple Watch are in harmony.
  9. If everything is correctly done, then the Apple Watch should be paired by now.
  10. Tap Set Up Apple Watch.
  11. Read the Terms and Conditions and tap Agree.
  12. Choose the Wrist Preference.
  13. Adjust the text size, and Continue.
  14. When you see the Choose Family Member screen, tap on the Family Member’s name. If he or she isn’t part of your Family Sharing Group, it won’t show up, for that tap Add New Family Member…
  15. Select Use Existing Apple ID if your kid has already created an Apple ID or go with Create New Apple ID.
  16. Follow the on-screen instructions such as turning on the Two-Factor Authentication, if you haven’t done already.
  17. Select your preference for Ask to Buy and Location Sharing.
  18. To run your child’s Apple Watch from your iPhone, the Cellular Plan is necessary. So, when you’re asked to Set Up Cellular, tap on it.
  19. You can always choose another carrier for your Child’s Apple Watch during Family Set Up or go with the same as your iPhone. Carefully follow the instructions to complete the process, because this process may vary depending upon the career.
  20. After that when Wi-Fi for Apple Watch display comes up, tap Share Wi-Fi. However, the Cellular Plan is also mandatory.
  21. Set up the Location Services, Siri, and other features.
  22. You can also allot pocket money from the Apple Cash Family to your child he/she can use to buy anything from the Apple Pay.
  23. If you agree to set up Apple Cash Family, then you’ll be asked to choose the Apple Cash Recipients, meaning with whom your kid can make transactions.
  24. Next, you’d be asked to allow or disallow permissions for various Apple Services including iCloud, Messages, Activity, Photos, Screen Time Limits, Health Data, and many more things.
  25. Once you complete this setup, your Child’s Apple Watch would appear under the Family Watches list right in the Watch app.

Stay connected with us for more updates, Tips, and Tricks on Apple Watch. Also share thoughts and problems in the comment below.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood, a Wellington-based journalist, excels in covering Apple and tech trends. With a diverse background in public safety, government, and education reporting, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, offering readers a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. Contact Her Team:- [email protected] [OR] [email protected]

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