Introducing Family Setup and optimized features for kids and
older adults
Apple® today announced Family Setup in watchOS® 7, bringing the
communication, health, fitness, and safety features of Apple Watch®
to kids and older family members of the household who do not have
an iPhone®. For the first time, Apple Watch can be set up through a
parent’s iPhone, so kids can connect with family and friends
through phone calls and Messages, stay motivated with personalized
Activity goals, and express their creativity through custom
Memoji™.
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Family Setup brings the Apple Watch
experience to the entire family, including kids and older adults.
(Photo: Business Wire)
Family Setup makes it possible for the entire family to benefit
from the important health and safety features of Apple Watch, like
Emergency SOS, while Maps, Siri®, Alarms, and the App Store®
provide greater independence without needing an iPhone. In
addition, parents will have peace of mind knowing they can reach
their child and identify their location, and that all personal data
stays securely encrypted. With watchOS 7, the whole family can also
take advantage of optimized features that enhance the overall Apple
Watch experience.
“For family members who do not have an iPhone, Apple Watch
offers a remarkable set of features that can help them keep in
touch with loved ones, be more active, and stay safe,” said Jeff
Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “With Family Setup,
we’re thrilled to extend these features to the entire family, so
everyone can gain more independence and live a healthier life.”
Staying Connected
With Family Setup, family members without iPhone can take
advantage of the many features and apps on Apple Watch, from making
and receiving phone and FaceTime® audio calls, to sending and
receiving messages and emails, and even connecting with other Apple
Watch wearers over Walkie-Talkie.1 The new Memoji app on Apple
Watch allows users to customize a Memoji that can be shared while
messaging friends or displayed as a watch face. Parents have the
ability to approve all contacts, so kids can safely use the
communication features of Apple Watch.
Kids and older family members of the household using Family
Setup will have their own phone number through a separate cellular
plan, and by using their own Apple ID, they can follow their
schedule and family events using Calendar, learn to manage tasks
with Reminders, view photo albums synced from a guardian’s iPhone,
and more. With the new Apple Cash™ Family, parents can securely
send their kids money to spend on their watch using Apple Pay®.
Parents can choose to receive notifications when their kids pay,
and view their child’s purchases right in Wallet on their own
iPhone.
Family members using Family Setup on Apple Watch can play their
favorite songs on Apple Music® through Bluetooth headphones and
speakers and ask Siri for answers to questions or language
translations. With Maps, family members can learn to navigate
safely and independently, whether heading to another family
member’s house or to a park with friends.
A family member’s location can be shared with their guardian
through the Find People app on Apple Watch, and location
notifications are more customizable, allowing the guardian to
receive an update on their family member’s location for one
occasion, or on a recurring or time-based schedule.
Activity
The Activity rings experience has been optimized for kids to
track Move minutes instead of calories burned and provide
customizable goals for the Exercise and Stand rings. Outdoor Walk,
Outdoor Run, and Outdoor Cycle workouts have been specifically
tuned for kids, giving appropriate credit for Move minutes,
exercise, distance, and other metrics, while coaching notifications
are tailored to relevant reading levels and made more fun with
emoji. Kids can also send and receive Activity Sharing invitations
directly on Apple Watch, challenge friends with Activity
Competitions, and see a new Awards page so milestones can be
celebrated right on their wrist.
Health and Safety
With Emergency SOS, family members using Family Setup can easily
access emergency services using the side button, and guardians will
be automatically notified if they are listed as an emergency
contact. Kids can also reference their Medical ID, which documents
critical information such as medical conditions, allergies, and
medications. With permission, guardians can see a full view of
their family member’s health and activity through the Health app on
iPhone, and kids and older adults can view their shared information
through Settings on their Apple Watch.
Apps
Using the App Store on Apple Watch, kids can download
third-party apps directly on device. Apps such as ClassDojo,
Coloring Watch, and LookUp: English Dictionary can educate and
encourage good habits, while Calm features kid-specific mindfulness
experiences. With Family Setup, parents can manage what is
available for download through Content Restrictions and Ask to Buy
support.
Schooltime and Downtime
Family Setup brings a new mode called Schooltime, which will
help ensure kids stay focused and attentive while learning at home
or in the classroom. During Schooltime, a distinctive yellow circle
is displayed on the watch face for teachers and parents to easily
recognize, signifying that access to apps is restricted and Do Not
Disturb is turned on. For convenience, parents can also set the
schedule on their iPhone so Apple Watch automatically goes into
Schooltime during certain hours, or turn it on from Control Center
on the child’s watch. To support responsible usage of the device,
the Downtime feature of Screen Time extends to Apple Watch, with
the child receiving a reminder five minutes before it begins.
Privacy
Privacy is a fundamental human right and one of Apple’s core
values. Apple believes all personal data including location,
communication, fitness, and health should be securely encrypted on
devices and in iCloud®. Family Setup has been carefully designed to
ensure parents and users control access to personal data.
Optimization for Older Adults
watchOS 7 also offers optimized features for older adults,
adding to the powerful set of health and safety tools currently
available, including fall detection and irregular rhythm
notification.2 The latest software makes Apple Watch even easier to
use and set up, starting with a refreshed X-Large face that shows
the time and a rich complication at a glance, as well as an
onboarding and configuration process designed with connection and
accessibility features in mind. Activity goals can be customized to
help users stay motivated, while the new Health Checklist in the
Health app on iPhone offers the ability to track whether health
features like fall detection have been enabled in one centralized
view.
Availability and Activation
- Family Setup will be available on Wednesday, September 16, as a
free software update and requires cellular models of Apple Watch
Series 4 or later or Apple Watch SE running watchOS 7, paired with
iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14.
- Not all features will be available if Apple Watch is set up
through Family Setup. A wireless service plan is required for
cellular service. Contact your service provider for more details.
Check apple.com/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers
and eligibility.
- To set up an Apple Watch with Family Setup, a new assistant
guides users through the configuration steps on iPhone. Family
Setup requires Family Sharing and an Apple ID for the child or
older family member of the household, and cellular service enables
all of its features.
- Family Setup is subject to local carrier support and will be
available at 18 carriers in 12 countries and regions around the
world at launch.
- Apple Watch will support 14 hours of daily usage with Family
Setup.3
1 FaceTime and Walkie-Talkie are not available in all
countries.
2 Not available in all countries.
3 Battery life varies by use and configuration.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction
of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in
innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and
tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and
empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store,
Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000
employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and
to leaving the world better than we found it.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom
(www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408)
974-2042.
© 2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo,
watchOS, Apple Watch, iPhone, Memoji, Siri, App Store, Apple Cash,
Apple Pay, and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple. Other company
and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200915006147/en/
Apple Lance Lin, (408) 974-5036 lance_lin@apple.com Amy
Bessette, (408) 862-8012 abessette@apple.com
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