Apple is introducing the Family Setup feature with watchOS 7, so your kids or older family members don’t need their own iPhone for their Watch. This is how you set it up.
How to set up Family Setup with watchOS 7
Family Setup, also known as Family Setup, is a new feature in watchOS 7. Family Setup allows you to pair your child’s Apple Watch or an older family member’s Apple Watch with your own iPhone. That way, not everyone with a Watch also needs to have their own iPhone.
Family Setup only works on an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with watchOS 7. To enable Family Setup:
- Put on the new Watch and press and hold the side button to turn the Watch on;
- Hold the Apple Watch close to your iPhone until the message “Use your iPhone to set up this Apple Watch” appears. Tap ‘Continue’;
- Tap “Configure for a family member” and tap “Continue”;
- Hold your iPhone over the Apple Watch to scan the animation shown on your Watch;
- Optionally, set an access code and then choose which family member will use the Watch. Is this not there yet? Then tap “Add New Family Member” and enter his or her Apple ID information.
You can then set rules for the Apple Watch. For example, you can set whether you have to give permission for purchases via the smartwatch. In addition, you can add the Watch to your iPhone subscription, if it supports Family Setup.
Finally, you can enable other features that are part of Family Setup. This is how you set Siri, SOS emergency notifications, or Activity. In addition, you can activate the School Time function here: here you set the school times for your child, so that he or she is not distracted by your Apple Watch.
More about watchOS 7
watchOS 7 was released September 16 for the Apple Watch Series 3 and newer. The update brings new watchOS 7 watch faces, of course, but also lots of cool new features. For example, watchOS 7 has a Sleep app, with which you can set your own sleep schedules. There are also all kinds of functions that make you healthier, such as the Fitness app.
We have now tested the major update and you can read our findings in our watchOS 7 review. On the watchOS 7 overview page you can read what’s new. Prefer to watch? In the video below we discuss all the innovations.