What you need to know
- You can now set up a Galaxy Watch 7 LTE to work as a standalone kids watch that supports calls and messages without a smartphone.
- Using Google Family Link, you can monitor your kid's location, contacts, apps, and options during schooltime.
- Galaxy Watch for Kids comes with over 20 "Teacher Approved apps and watch faces" with educational features.
- The update will arrive "in the coming weeks," and requires parents to own a Galaxy smartphone.
Samsung and Google teamed up on the new version of Wear OS years ago; now they've collaborated on a kid-friendly spinoff for Samsung's cellular-enabled smartwatches called Galaxy Watch for Kids that sounds extremely promising for parents.
Announced just before the start of Galaxy Unpacked 2025, this new "kid-friendly smartwatch experience" lets you convert a regular Galaxy Watch 7 LTE into one with built-in parental controls during the initial setup.
Once you set up the eSim, the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE becomes a standalone device, similar to Google's Fitbit Ace LTE except that it's not designed solely for kids; it could theoretically switch into a "normal" smartwatch if you buy your kid an Android phone in a couple of years.
Using the Google Family Link app, you'll be able to supervise their restricted Google account so they can only call or text approved contacts. It will also let you approve or block Wear OS apps and set a School Time window during which they can't use any distracting apps or features.
Like many kids smartwatches, Galaxy Watch for Kids will let you track your child's real-time location at any time using the built-in dual-band GPS — though the announcement doesn't mention any geofencing feature to auto-notify you if they leave a specific location like the school grounds.
Plus, this feature makes it easy to track down the last known position if your child loses the watch.
Google, which is handling the apps and software side for Samsung, announced new Galaxy Watch for Kids apps on the Play Store with the "Teacher Approved" badge, meaning they're age-appropriate and focus on educational areas like "math, science, history, music, creativity, emotional well-being, and physical activity."
The list of approved apps includes a virtual Rubik's Cube, a Marvel dancing app called "Groove with Groot," drawing encouragement from Barbie and Crayloa, a daily trivia game, a mood journal, and PBS Kids apps for learning more about animals or telling time.
Samsung says that "children can monitor their daily activities" and that parents and kids can "build healthier habits alongside each other by reviewing their health data together." This suggests that Galaxy Watch for Kids will have a full-fledged Samsung Health experience, tracking data like sleep, steps, and workouts.
Galaxy Watch for Kids currently only works on the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE; we'll ask if Google and Samsung have any plans to bring the feature to older generations with cellular support. And parents will need a Galaxy phone running One UI 5.1 or later.
It's also fair to point out that the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE — being a "real" smartwatch — is more expensive than most kids' watches, which trade limited (or specialized) feature sets for lower prices. You'll also have to add it to your carrier plan (for an additional fee) before calling and location tracking will work.
Google says the "Galaxy Watch for Kids experience will roll out to the Galaxy Watch 7 LTE in the coming weeks. It will initially be available in the U.S. on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks." Samsung will give Watch 7 LTE buyers a free kids-themed band if you buy it on Samsung.com from today through February 22.
Kid-friendly, popular with adults
The Galaxy Watch 7 is the undisputed best Android smartwatch of the year, with fast performance, almost two days of battery life per charge, a thin-bordered and bright display, and a rugged design with sapphire glass that'll withstand the worst of the playground. It'll be much more expensive than a typical kids' watch, but it'll also get years of support and the design will feel more "adult" to a skeptical kid.
