Garmin Jr.™ icon
Garmin Jr. App: A Parental Management Tool for Child Wearables

by Garmin

Designed to help parents manage Garmin kids' smartwatches, this app focuses on activity tracking, location monitoring, and communication. It offers a controlled environment for children to stay active and connected without a smartphone. Perfect for families looking to encourage responsibility through gamified rewards and safety features.

Detailed Review

The Garmin Jr. app serves as a dedicated parental control hub for Garmin's line of children's smartwatches, such as the Garmin Bounce. Positioned in the growing market of child-focused wearables, it provides a structured alternative to giving young kids full smartphones, emphasizing safety and engagement through a connected ecosystem. Its core functionality revolves around managing device settings, tracking activities, and facilitating communication between parents and children. Core features include real-time location tracking using GPS, which allows parents to check a child's whereabouts via the app's map interface. The messaging system enables preset text or voice messages between paired devices, supporting communication during school hours or playdates without open internet access. Activity tracking monitors steps and movement, with goals that can be customized by parents. Additionally, the app includes a task management system where chores or assignments can be assigned, complete with virtual rewards like diamonds or stars to motivate completion. Integration with Garmin watches allows for watch face customization and syncing of data, ensuring a seamless experience across devices. In real-world usage, the app is often deployed for scenarios like monitoring a child's walk to school, setting daily step targets for physical health, or using reward systems to encourage household responsibilities. Users report that the interface is straightforward, with setup typically taking minutes via Bluetooth pairing. For children, the experience is gamified; they earn rewards for completing tasks, which can be redeemed for digital badges or watch themes. However, some minor imperfections exist, such as occasional syncing delays or limited explanation for certain reward elements, like the purpose of stars, which a few users have questioned. User feedback trends highlight high satisfaction with safety and ease of use. Reviews indicate that parents value the location tracking for peace of mind, especially during extracurricular activities or when children are away from home. The messaging feature is frequently praised for its simplicity, allowing kids to send quick updates without distraction. On the downside, some users note the absence of a calling feature, which might be a limitation for those seeking voice communication. Others mention desires for expanded reward systems, such as earning more diamonds daily, suggesting room for refinement in engagement mechanics. Overall, the Garmin Jr. app delivers a reliable tool for parents seeking to balance connectivity and safety for children aged approximately 4 to 12. Its strengths lie in robust tracking, intuitive design, and positive behavior reinforcement, though it may not replace phones for families needing voice calls or more advanced apps. As child wearable technology evolves, this app remains a practical choice for integrating digital tools into family routines.

Key Features

  • Real-time location tracking using GPS to monitor child safety during activities like school commutes or playdates.
  • Preset messaging system enabling text and voice communication between parent and child devices without internet access.
  • Activity and step tracking with customizable goals to encourage daily physical movement and fitness habits.
  • Chore and task management with virtual rewards like diamonds to motivate responsibility and positive behavior.
  • Seamless integration with Garmin kids' watches for data syncing, watch face customization, and device controls.
  • Parental dashboard for easy setup, profile management, and monitoring of multiple children from a single interface.

Why Users Love It

Enhances child safety with reliable location monitoring
Encourages activity and responsibility through gamified rewards

Perfect for: Parents of young children who want a safe, connected alternative to smartphones for fitness and communication.

Screenshots

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Ranking History

Track Garmin Jr.™'s performance in Health & Fitness over the last 30 days

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Current Rank

#34

Best Rank

#34

All-time high

Average Rank

#34

30-day average

User Reviews

val and joey
Mar 22, 2025

Love being able to track our daughter. Watch and app are easy to use and understand. Great alternative to giving her a cell phone that she would probably put down somewhere and lose. We love it Love being able to track our daughter. Watch and app are easy to use and understand. Great alternative to giving her a cell phone that she would probably put down somewhere and lose.

SportyV
Oct 21, 2025

My nine year old inherited this from her older brother when he got a phone. She loves being able to send me messages when she’s at school, camp, or a play date I like being able to see where her location is at any time. Easy to use My nine year old inherited this from her older brother when he got a phone. She loves being able to send me messages when she’s at school, camp, or a play date I like being able to see where her location is at any time.

Deffmasta
Jun 14, 2025

Great for texting and location monitoring. Does not have calling feature fyi. Great for texting a location monitoring Great for texting and location monitoring. Does not have calling feature fyi.

Emheee
Jun 13, 2025

We bought this to monitor steps- but it’s SO much more! Best system for positive behavior rewarding We bought this to monitor steps- but it’s SO much more!

HelenaCA!
Jun 11, 2025

Serves a very simple purpose and allows me to communicate and keep my kids safe! Love it! Love it Serves a very simple purpose and allows me to communicate and keep my kids safe! Love it!

App Details

Developer

Garmin

Platform

ios

Rating

4.6

Last Updated

12/26/2025