Building a Custom Smartwatch Ecosystem for KidsBuilding a Custom Smartwatch Ecosystem for Kids
Successfully guided the client through the discovery phase, helping select the right hardware and designing a scalable system architecture
Delivered a production-ready smartwatch platform with built-in geolocation sharing, SOS and real-time parental controls
Provided custom system apps pre-installed on the smartwatch, eliminating any setup effort for end users
Implemented smart tracking and network optimization strategies to increase smartwatch battery life in real-world conditions
About the Project
We helped the client to build a complete smartwatch solution focused on children’s safety and real-time parental control. Our team developed all system apps for the watch from scratch, as well as the parental mobile app and backend services.
The project began with a Discovery Phase where we advised on hardware selection, ran extensive battery tests and worked closely with the watch manufacturer.
Description
Transformation
The client needed a reliable child smartwatch platform with full parental control and real-time tracking. Key challenges included:
- Developing custom system apps with optimized UI, communication, and safety logic
- Building a highly efficient location engine with minimal battery drain
- Enabling secure, remote configuration of the watch from the parent’s app
- Blocking unknown calls and SMS messages, ensuring trusted-only communication
Contributions
We delivered a complete set of watch system apps, parent control app and real-time backend integrations for the smartwatch platform:
Built all core apps for the watch, including the custom launcher, dialer, SMS, and SOS apps, designed specifically for kids and their safety
Developed the React Native parent app that allows parents to track location and remotely manage the watch
Enabled secure pairing between the smartwatch and parent app
Implemented smart location tracking that adapts to available networks and sends updates to the backend
Added features to block unknown callers, filter messages, and manage allowed contact lists securely
Enabled remote configuration from the parent app, so parents can update settings like safe contacts and tracking intervals in real time
Added SOS support with live location sharing and ambient audio capture when the child presses the alert button
Used AWS IoT Core for lightweight, real-time communication between watches, backend services and parental app
Worked closely with the hardware vendor to embed our apps as part of the watch firmware
Key Expertise
- Experience working with Android AOSP and system-level apps
- Built and integrated custom apps for calling, messaging, SOS, and tracking for safe usage by kids
- Deep knowledge of device communication and real-time data flow, powered by AWS IoT
- Designed a smooth parent-child pairing flow, making it easy to link watches and manage them remotely
- Focused on real-world constraints like battery usage, network quality, and child safety
Case Studies
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Real Results
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