Set Apple Sentry for a family member

Family Setup in watchOS 7 and later lets family members who don't have their own iPhone relish the features and benefits of an Apple Lookout man.

How information technology works

With Family unit Setup, your family unit member who doesn't have their own iPhone can use their Apple Watch to practice things similar make telephone calls, send messages, and share their location with you.

After you set upward a sentinel for a family fellow member, y'all tin can use your iPhone to manage some of the lookout'southward capabilities.

Note that some Apple Watch features depend on having a companion iPhone, and aren't available on an Apple Watch that you pair using Family Setup.

Family Setup is not available in Italy, Korea, and more. Learn what'southward available in your country or region.

What you need

Put on the watch and turn it on

If the Apple tree Scout isn't new, erase information technology first.

Then put on the sentry, or take your family unit member put it on. Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

An Apple Watch with the side button enhanced.

Hold the sentry most your iPhone

Hold the Apple tree Watch close to your iPhone. Wait until "Use your iPhone to gear up up this Apple Scout" appears on your iPhone, and then tap Continue. If you don't see this message, open up the Watch app on your iPhone, tap All Watches, and then tap Pair New Scout.

Tap Set up Upwards for a Family Fellow member, so tap Go on on the next screen.

The initial setup screen for pairing a new watch on an iPhone and Apple Watch.

Pair the watch with your iPhone

Hold your iPhone over the animation that appears on the watch. Middle the scout face in the viewfinder on your iPhone, then wait for a message to say that your Apple Watch is paired. If you can't use the camera, tap Pair Apple Sentinel Manually, then follow the steps that appear.

Then tap Ready Upwardly Apple Scout.

An iPhone screen that shows how to position your Apple Watch in the center of the viewfinder on your iPhone.

Set up a passcode

Tap Agree on the Terms and Conditions screen, and so choose a text size for the Apple Picket.

Next, set a passcode to proceed the watch secure.

The Apple Watch passcode setup screen on an iPhone.

Pick a family fellow member

Choose the family fellow member who will use the Apple Scout. If they don't announced, tap Add New Family Member.

Enter the family member'southward Apple ID password, then tap Next.

The family member select screen when setting up an Apple Watch on an iPhone.

Turn on Enquire to Buy

Turn on Ask to Buy if you lot desire to give approval for whatever downloads or purchases made on the Apple tree Lookout man.

The Ask to Buy option during Apple Watch setup on an iPhone.

Prepare cellular and Wi-Fi

If your iPhone cellular provider supports Family Setup, you can add the sentry to your plan. If your carrier doesn't support information technology, you might be able to apply an alternative carrier. And then yous tin can gear up cellular on the scout later.

Next, cull whether to share your current Wi-Fi network with the Apple tree Watch.

The Cellular Setup screen during Apple Watch setup on an iPhone.

Plow on other features

In the screens that follow, choose whether to turn on and ready boosted Apple Watch features. These include Location Services for the Discover My app, Siri, Apple Cash Family unit, Transit cards (if available), Messages in iCloud, Health Information, Emergency SOS, Emergency Contacts, Medical ID, Activeness, Workout Route Tracking, and Photos.

The option to set a daily move goal for an Apple Watch during setup on an iPhone.

Set shared contacts and Schooltime

Now you're asked to set up the contacts that volition be available on the Apple Watch. To allow this, you demand to have Contacts in iCloud enabled. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud on your iPhone and make sure that Contacts is turned on.*

Then you tin choose trusted people from your own Contacts app to share on the Apple tree Watch. You can manage these shared contacts subsequently, and set upward restrictions, in Screen Time on your iPhone.

Finally, set a Screen Time passcode for the scout, and plow on Schooltime. When you're finished, tap OK to brainstorm using the Apple Sentry.

* If you're in China mainland, you also need to make sure that the Contacts app on your iPhone tin can use wireless data. Open Contacts, and so tap one of the options to permit data utilise.


The Schooltime option during Apple Watch setup on an iPhone.

Availability of features and apps

Wellness and fitness features:

  • High and low heart rate notifications are available for users 13 and older.
  • Middle Charge per unit Variability (HRV) is available for users 18 and older.
  • Walking steadiness and autumn detection are bachelor for users eighteen and older.
  • Users under the age of 13 can use move minutes, rather than active calories, for their Move goal in the Action app.

Apple Pay features:

  • Apple Cash Family unit is available to users under the age of 18, allowing them to make purchases and send and receive money in Messages with Apple tree Pay (United States only).
  • You can apply Apple tree Pay to top up a Transit carte du jour on your family member'due south Apple Watch.
  • Apple Pay using a credit, debit, or transit card in the Wallet app is not available with Family Setup.

The following features and apps are not available: Health data sharing, respiratory rate, irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG, Wheel Tracking, Sleep, Blood Oxygen, Podcasts, Remote, News, Home, and Shortcuts.

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