It is possible. Have the ⌚️'s location working in Find My, configured with Family Setup.
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Apple Highlights Three Benefits of Apple Watch for Kids Without iPhones
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It is possible. Have the ⌚️'s location working in Find My, configured with Family Setup.
The vast majority of my teen daughter's friend group, and her school, use iPhone...but none use iMessage or SMS/RCS. They are all on Snapchat, and consider iMessage as only a way to talk to old people, aka parents.
Speaking of which, my 12 year old daughter doesn't even want a phone. She is fine chatting with her friends on Discord.
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Sure - advertising to make kids even more robotic and unhealthy than they already are - no, thanks; my kids will spend their time playing outside with little cars and soldiers.
This is so true. Parental controls in iOS are a joke. I hate it. It’s confusing, buggy and drives me mad.
Smart, get them hooked on the watch in first years and then buy 2 years later iPhone anyway + watch updates
Since watchOS 7 in 2020, parents have been able to pair their iPhone to their child's Apple Watch. Formerly known as Apple Watch Family Setup, and now marketed as Apple Watch For Your Kids, this option allows kids to use an Apple Watch with a cellular plan for texting, calling, and location sharing, even if they do not own an iPhone.
For children, a cellular Apple Watch can be a stepping stone towards an iPhone, and Apple has now marketed that idea in a series of new ads.
On its YouTube channel in Canada, Apple has shared three short videos advertising the benefits of the Apple Watch For Your Kids feature. In each video, a child uses their cellular Apple Watch to text their parents. And in one of the videos, a parent reminds their child who is secretly at a shopping mall that they can see their child's location.
Three key benefits of a cellular Apple Watch for kids: texting, calling, and location sharing.
"Apple Watch with cellular lets your kids text, call and location share, all without their own phone," says each video's description.
Apple Watch For Your Kids requires a child to have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer with watchOS 7 and later, while the parent must have an iPhone XS or later. A cellular Apple Watch is recommended for full functionality, but a limited set of features are available on Apple Watch models with Wi-Fi only.
More details are available on the Apple Watch For Your Kids page, and in a support document.
Article Link: Apple Highlights Three Benefits of Apple Watch for Kids Without iPhones
My daughter is also at one of those schools. It's not just smartphones, but any and all "communication devices", so smartwatches are banned also. They can actually bring older handheld gaming consoles or old mp3 players as long as they can't be used for communication, which seems a bit counterintuitive. We kind of wish our daughter could wear her smartwatch, as she is the biggest rule follower on the planet and wouldn't dare use it when she wasn't supposed to, but we understand the rule. She basically only wears it if we're going to a crowded place and want to have a back up for communication and location. For the most part, she doesn't care about it though.
We'd do this for our oldest kid but we're on Xfinity Mobile. For some reason it won't work with that carrier.
This is great direction for Apple: Apple watch focus for health, safety, navigation, and communications is perfect for kids. And a perfect way of not exposing them to social media.
One critical thing is missing: Battery life is very unforgiving if you forgot to charge at night (every kid will forget this at least sometimes). Maybe a simple parent reminder at night could fix this.
One critical thing is missing: Battery life is very unforgiving if you forgot to charge at night (every kid will forget this at least sometimes). Maybe a simple parent reminder at night could fix this.
Technically true and very workable, but only if the parent doesn't use an Apple Watch, if they do? (as both me and my wife) then you have to get the kid a phone as well 😏
Since watchOS 7 in 2020, parents have been able to pair their iPhone to their child's Apple Watch. Formerly known as Apple Watch Family Setup, and now marketed as Apple Watch For Your Kids, this option allows kids to use an Apple Watch with a cellular plan for texting, calling, and location sharing, even if they do not own an iPhone.
For children, a cellular Apple Watch can be a stepping stone towards an iPhone, and Apple has now marketed that idea in a series of new ads.
On its YouTube channel in Canada, Apple has shared three short videos advertising the benefits of the Apple Watch For Your Kids feature. In each video, a child uses their cellular Apple Watch to text their parents. And in one of the videos, a parent reminds their child who is secretly at a shopping mall that they can see their child's location.
Three key benefits of a cellular Apple Watch for kids: texting, calling, and location sharing.
"Apple Watch with cellular lets your kids text, call and location share, all without their own phone," says each video's description.
Apple Watch For Your Kids requires a child to have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer with watchOS 7 and later, while the parent must have an iPhone XS or later. A cellular Apple Watch is recommended for full functionality, but a limited set of features are available on Apple Watch models with Wi-Fi only.
More details are available on the Apple Watch For Your Kids page, and in a support document.
Article Link: Apple Highlights Three Benefits of Apple Watch for Kids Without iPhones
However the real problem is the battery, to small for any significant time on cellular.
So in typical Apple fashion, great theoretically, not so great in practice.
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Or a battery with at least double the battery life!
The normal watches aren't fit to use cellular only!
The kids can easily break it, that's the real problem.
Typical Apple great in theory, not so great in practice.
Apple, NO! Apple should make Watch Ultra truly standalone, without any dependency, not requiring other device to setup and use. No, I do not want an iPhone; even for free! Free your mind and your hands! Allowing to install any application including web browsers like Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge, etc. Add a camera to read QR codes, etc; best if it is telescopic rotating retractable camera in the crown neck (protecting from dust and sweat, besides privacy). Then I am sold, even for 1,000 USD or more.
Super practical - my youngest daughter have one instead of a phone. Nothing to scroll on, nothing to look at endless hours but still able to call me when she wants a play date with a friend after school etc.
two things about this. It's kind of a hassle, similar to a sleep focus. Screen only shows time unless you hold the crown, and then you get out of schooltime focus, and then only until it locks again.It's a good idea but kids can be very smart when it comes to getting around "features".
Second, the parent receives a report of how many unlocks were performed, and at what times. The idea is to limit distraction, not to lock them out of all functionality completely. If that's not enough or doesn't work for your kid, then you'll need a different solution.
My daughter activates it herself and wants it on during school. Kids can understand that if you use the watch during school hours they will just ban it.It's a good idea but kids can be very smart when it comes to getting around "features"
To get my youngest one instead of an iPhone has been an amazing decision
This (see emphasised text in quote above) is not true.
My daughter has an Apple Watch. I have an Apple Watch. Both paired to my iPhone, hers configured using Family Setup.
And the cellular connection on her watch allows her to get through a school day & beyond, with the device appearing in Find My and being able to send & receive iMessages and SMS, as well as make calls where necessary. Schooltime mode during school hours. Drop on charger overnight.
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Wrong. Parent can have their own watch and can have multiple kids watches managed by one iPhone. I don’t know if there’s a limit but I know for sure at least 2 kids watches and one personal watch work with a single iPhone. Keep in mind the kids watches need to be cellular models and have service, you can’t just give your kid an old WiFi only watch.