After launching in the U.S. alongside the release of the Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, Apple Watch ‘Family Setup’ is making its way to Canada through Bell.
This brings communication, health, fitness and safety features to children and older adults who might not have an iPhone or cannot set up an Apple Watch themselves.
Through Family Setup, a parent’s iPhone can manage a child’s ability to connect with family and friends, make phone calls, send messages, track activity and more. On the elderly person side of things, tools like Emergency SOS are accessible through the feature.
“We’re pleased to partner with Apple to be the first in Canada to offer Family Setup,” said Claire Gillies, the president of Bell Mobility, in a recent statement. “Family Setup is an ideal solution for family members without an iPhone to benefit from the communication, health, fitness and safety features of Apple Watch. We’re excited to offer Bell customers this new way to help them stay connected.”
Apple says that family members using Family Setup still have their own Apple ID and phone number through a separate cellular plan. It’s unclear how much this additional cellular plan costs, but MobileSyrup has reached out to both Bell and Apple for more information.
It’s likely that Family Setup will eventually make its way to additional Canadian carriers, similar to the Apple Watch’s LTE connectivity’s rollout. Apple says that ‘Family Setup’ requires iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2, as well as the Apple Watch Series 4 or later or the Apple Watch SE paired with an iPhone 6s or later.
It’s unclear when iOS 14.3/watchOS 7.2 is set to release, though Apple has announced that Family Setup’s launch is imminent, it’s likely dropping soon.
Source: Apple
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