An Apple Watch normally needs an iPhone for initial setup. Apple does provide Apple Watch For Your Kids, previously called Family Setup, for a compatible cellular Apple Watch used by a family member who does not have their own iPhone. Even in that arrangement, an organizer or parent uses an iPhone to perform the setup.
How to do it
- Make sure the family member is in your Family Sharing group and has an Apple Account.
- On the organizer’s iPhone, open the Watch app.
- Tap All Watches, then Add Watch.
- Choose Set Up for a Family Member.
- Pair the watch when prompted, assign it to the correct family member, create a watch passcode, and finish the available cellular and family settings.
Compatible hardware matters
Apple Watch For Your Kids requires a supported cellular Apple Watch model and is not available in every country or region. A cellular plan is not always required for setup, but some features depend on cellular service.
What “without iPhone” really means
The person wearing the watch does not need to own an iPhone, but an eligible family organizer still needs an iPhone to configure and manage the watch. Some Apple Watch features are unavailable when the watch is set up this way.
Before you finish
Menu names can change slightly between iOS releases, iPhone models, carriers, and app versions. If your screen does not exactly match these instructions, install available software updates and look for the same feature under the closest matching Settings section. Avoid changing unrelated security, privacy, or account options simply to make a missing control appear.
After making the change, test the feature once so you know the result is what you expected. If the setting affects an account, cellular service, privacy protection, or device security, keep your account credentials and a recent backup available before doing additional troubleshooting.