Kids' smartwatches

1. Pick a watch that matches your phone and your 911 plan

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   The two misses are “does it work with my phone?” and “can my child call 911?” An iPhone parent can use Apple Watch For Your Kids or a cross-platform watch. A Samsung Galaxy parent can use Galaxy Watch for Kids or a cross-platform watch. Fitbit Ace, Gabb, Garmin, TickTalk, and Gizmo work with an iPhone or Android parent phone. Apple, Galaxy, and TickTalk document 911 calling. Four watches here can't call 911: Gabb, Fitbit Ace LTE, Verizon Gizmo, and Garmin Bounce 2. Their SOS or Assistance buttons alert the contacts you choose, not emergency services. Gabb and Fitbit Ace LTE are the most limited by design. Plans for calls, texts, and location away from Wi-Fi run about $10–$20 a month, depending on the watch. Apple Watch For Your Kids is not available in Italy, Korea, China mainland, and more. Fitbit Ace LTE coverage is limited to the USA, excluding Alaska and US territories. TickTalk 6 eSIM activation is US only. Gizmo is Verizon only.

   1. Decide whether the watch must be able to call 911. If it must, use Apple, Galaxy, or TickTalk.
   2. Match the watch to your phone. Apple Watch For Your Kids needs your iPhone. Galaxy Watch for Kids needs a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone.
   3. Budget for the watch and a monthly plan. The plan is most of the cost over time.
   Verizon Gizmo FAQs

2. Set up Apple Watch For Your Kids

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   This is the fullest-featured kids' watch, managed from your iPhone. You need a cellular Apple Watch, your iPhone, Apple Accounts for you and your child, and a Family Sharing group where you are the organizer or a parent or guardian. On watchOS 27, Apple says the child's watch must be an Apple Watch SE 3 or Series 9 or later with cellular. Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later also runs watchOS 27. Your iPhone must be an iPhone 11 or later, or an iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), on iOS 27. Apple's general setup page still lists Series 4 or later for older watchOS. A cellular plan isn't required to set up an Apple Watch for a family member, but is necessary for some features. Apple Watch SE 3 GPS + Cellular is $299 (40mm) at Apple. The $249 price and the $229 education price are for the GPS-only model, which can't be used for For Your Kids. Schooltime restricts notifications and disables the use of all apps. The watch shows a yellow circle. Even in Schooltime, your child can make Emergency SOS calls and call or text designated emergency contacts. If they exit Schooltime, you get a notification. US carriers on Apple's watch chart include AT&T, BetterRoaming, Boost Mobile, Cellcom, C Spire, Cricket, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Xfinity Mobile. The watch can use a different carrier from your iPhone. One parent's iPhone is the primary manager. Sleep, ECG, Blood Oxygen, News, Shortcuts, card-based Apple Pay, and international roaming are not available with For Your Kids. Fall Detection is 18+. High and low heart rate notifications are 13+.

   1. During setup, turn on Ask to Buy, choose shared contacts (Contacts in iCloud must be on), set a Screen Time passcode, and turn on Schooltime.
   2. Later, manage contacts in Screen Time, Communication Limits, on your iPhone.
   3. Set Find My location notifications for school, home, or a friend's house.
   4. If your child exits Schooltime, check the unlock history.
   Set up Apple Watch for a family member (Apple)

3. Set up Fitbit Ace LTE if you choose it

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   Google's kids' watch uses family-only contacts, movement games, and no app store. The watch is $179.95. An Ace Pass is $9.99 a month or $119 a year, and it is required to activate the device. Contacts are Google Family members plus adults 13+ who install the Fitbit Ace app. Your child cannot call or message friends, only siblings in your Google Family. The device is not capable of calling emergency services, another Fitbit Ace LTE, or a phone without the Fitbit Ace app. Airplane mode disables calling, messaging, and location sharing. Location needs the watch powered on, recently active, and connected to the internet. Google says location data is only shown to parents and is automatically deleted after a short time, there are no third-party apps or ads shown to kids, and health data will not be used for Google ads. An unsupervised setup is possible only for unsupervised accounts of children aged 13 and above.

   1. Set the watch up in the Fitbit Ace app with a supervised Google Account. You must be the parent, or the Family Manager if you are creating a new child account.
   2. Buy an Ace Pass in the app before you expect the watch to work away from Wi-Fi.
   3. Schedule School Time. It mutes notifications and restricts games.
   4. Tell your child the SOS button does not call 911.
   Set up Fitbit Ace LTE (Google)

4. Set up Galaxy Watch for Kids if you choose it

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   This turns a Galaxy Watch8, Watch7, or Watch6 LTE into a kids' watch managed in Google Family Link. Samsung says you need a compatible Samsung smartphone. Google's January 2025 launch post said One UI 5.1 or later. You also need Samsung and Google accounts with Family Link, and a carrier plan. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were available at launch. The contact limit applies only to Google Messages, Phone by Google, and Samsung Phone. It does not restrict communication through third-party or other communication apps. Emergency services and emergency contacts remain accessible. Airplane mode disables location sharing. Your carrier may not support stand-alone voice calling. A current Galaxy Watch LTE price isn't listed here.

   1. Pair the LTE watch with your compatible Samsung Galaxy phone.
   2. In Family Link, set approved contacts, time limits, school time, Play app approvals, and location alerts.
   3. Approve Play apps one by one. The contact list does not cover other chat apps.
   Galaxy Watch for Kids (Samsung)

5. Set up Gabb Watch 3e if you choose it

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   Gabb is calls, texts, and GPS, with no internet browsing. The watch is $169.99. Plans are $12.99 a month on a 2-year contract, $14.99 on a 1-year contract, or $17.99 with no contract. Early termination fees are up to $150 (2-year) or $100 (1-year). MyGabb allows up to 100 approved contacts, up to 9 guardians who can only see location, 20 preset texts, Safe Zones, and Focus Mode (up to 10 schedules). Focus Mode restricts texting and calling to primary and guardian contacts and disables apps. The SOS button calls the child's SOS contact, not emergency services. Gabb Watches cannot call 911. GPS automatically updates every 15 minutes unless you tap Refresh.

   1. Add approved contacts and one SOS contact in MyGabb.
   2. Set Safe Zones and Focus Mode schedules.
   3. Tell your child SOS calls you, not 911, and agree how they would reach 911.
   Gabb Watch 3e parental controls

6. Set up Garmin Bounce 2 if you choose it

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   Bounce 2 is a sporty watch with calling, texting, real-time location, and fitness tracking. Suggested retail is $299.99, plus a Garmin-managed LTE plan at $9.99 a month. Calling, messaging, LiveTrack, Assistance, and Chores require an active LTE subscription. Garmin's press release doesn't state an annual plan price, so none is listed here. Assistance is a supplemental feature and should not be relied upon as a primary method to obtain emergency assistance. The Garmin Jr. app does not contact emergency services on your behalf. Assistance sends a text or email to the contacts you set up. School mode is Silent, or Silent and restricted. Your child can use assistance while the watch is in school mode. Bounce 2 can download Amazon Music if you have Prime or Music Unlimited. Check what music your child can reach.

   1. In Garmin Jr., add family members and invited connections, then choose messaging contacts.
   2. Set School mode and temporary geofences for arrive and leave alerts.
   3. Set Assistance contacts, and tell your child this watch cannot call 911.
   Garmin Bounce 2: Requesting Assistance

7. Set up TickTalk 6 if you choose it

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   TickTalk 6 is the most phone-like watch here: video calls, real SMS, walkie-talkie with approved friends, and 911 calling in the US. The watch is $169.99 as a pre-order, with an estimated ship date of Oct 5, 2026. Essential is $9.99 per 30 days (1 GB, 1,000 minutes, unlimited texts). Premium is $19.99 (unlimited, includes TickTalk Radio). Optional Care+ is $4.99 a month. You can't add TickTalk 6 to an AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon plan. It uses TickTalk Wireless. The TickTalk 6 page says SOS and 911 calling, and 911 U.S. only. Deleting the app, resetting the watch, removing a SIM, or not using the device does not cancel the subscription. TickTalk says the watch has no games, social media, app store, or open browsing. TickTalk 5 can stop the watch being powered off. TickTalk 5 shows sold out.

   1. In the TickTalk Parent app, approve contacts, block unknown calls and messages, and control Watch Friends.
   2. Set school or focus times.
   3. Cancel the plan in the account if you stop using the watch. Turning it off is not a cancellation.
   TickTalk 6

8. Set up Verizon Gizmo Watch 4 if you are on Verizon

   On your phone · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   Unlimited for Gizmo is $10 per line per month, Verizon only. Verizon valued the watch at $180 in a 2026 promo. A retail price outside that promo isn't listed. Verizon Family allows up to 40 trusted contacts to block strangers, plus safe zones, school mode, and watch removal alerts. You can't program 911 as a number for the Gizmo watch to call. Gizmo watches aren't compatible with 911 or similar emergency telephone number systems. Calls go only to approved contacts. Location by Wi-Fi depends on a third-party Wi-Fi vendor's location database, and cellular location may be accurate only within a mile if towers are far apart.

   1. Add trusted contacts in the Verizon Family app. Do not try to add 911.
   2. Turn on school mode, safe zones, and watch removal alerts.
   3. Tell your child this watch cannot call 911.
   Verizon Gizmo FAQs

9. Show your child how SOS works, and review the contact list

   Both of you together · ages 5–17 · checked 30 Sep 2026

   A kids' watch limits who it can reach through its own apps. It can't stop contact through other apps or other people's devices, and it depends on battery, signal, and a paid plan. Airplane mode stops location on Fitbit and Samsung. TickTalk can block power-off. Gizmo documents watch removal alerts. The other watches' pages don't document a removal alert. Apple notifies you when your child exits Schooltime. Galaxy's contact limit doesn't cover third-party apps. Apple uses a watch passcode. TickTalk requires confirmation on the watch at first pairing. Reset protections for the other watches weren't documented. Location follows the watch, not the child, so a swapped watch shows the wrong person.

   1. Show how SOS works on their watch, and whether it calls 911 or you.
   2. If the watch can't call 911, agree how your child would reach emergency services, such as asking a nearby adult.
   3. Review the contact list every few months, including coaches and friends' parents.
   4. Treat a location that sits still, or a watch that disappears from the app, as a conversation.
   Apple Watch For Your Kids

How we check lists what was left off Kids' smartwatches.