Apple has launched its ‘Family Setup’ feature for the Apple Watch in India, offering a new way for parents and children to communicate. This feature allows children to make and receive phone calls, send texts, and share their GPS location with family members directly from their wrist, all without needing an iPhone.
Introduced during the pandemic with watchOS 7, Family Setup was initially unavailable in India. Now, with its launch, Apple aims to expand the utility of the Apple Watch beyond being just an iPhone accessory. This feature is particularly beneficial for parents and the elderly, enabling them to stay connected without the need for an iPhone.
How Family Setup Works
Family Setup allows an Apple Watch to function independently of an iPhone, giving children and elderly users the ability to make calls, send messages, and share their location. Jio is currently the only service provider in India supporting this feature, requiring an additional monthly fee to activate LTE on the Apple Watch. This setup gives the watch its own phone number, making it a fully independent device.
To use Family Setup, both the parent and child need Apple IDs. Parents can easily set up the child’s Apple Watch using their Apple ID and the Family Sharing feature. This setup allows parents to manage the child’s contacts, restrict access to certain apps and features, and use the Find People app to locate the child. Additionally, the “Schooltime mode” feature blocks access to apps and activates Do Not Disturb, allowing only emergency calls and notifications.
Strategic Move by Apple
The launch of Family Setup in India is a strategic move by Apple to tap into the growing Indian market. By enabling the Apple Watch to function without an iPhone, Apple aims to attract new users and increase adoption among families and tech-savvy parents in urban areas. This feature showcases the ecosystem advantages of Apple’s products and broadens the appeal of the Apple Watch.
With this move, Apple is betting on India’s importance as a key market for the future, offering a unique perspective on the benefits of the Apple ecosystem and enhancing the appeal of the Apple Watch to first-time users.
