What makes someone a trusted contact for your child’s phone or smartwatch?
Does your child know what a trusted contact is—and do you know how to set up trusted contacts for their phone? This guide helps you both decide whose number makes the list.
Giving your child their first smartwatch or smartphone is a big step—but that doesn’t mean they should have unlimited access to everyone. To help keep them safe, you can set up a trusted contacts list on their smartwatch (GizmoHub if it happens to be a Gizmo Watch) or phone in the Verizon Family app. These features let parents create a contact list that ensures their child can only connect with pre-approved contacts while they learn responsible digital habits.
What makes someone a trusted contact?
A trusted contact is someone your child can safely reach out to for social, school-related or emergency situations. Start with:
- Parents and primary caregivers
- Close family members
- Trusted neighbors
- Friends and classmates
- If your child has a medical condition, their doctor or healthcare provider
“There are many benefits to keeping their initial contact list small until they’re mature enough to have the whole digital world at their fingertips,” says Alanna Powers, Research and Program Specialist at the Family Online Safety Institute.
Set boundaries with trusted contacts.
Once the list is set, it’s important to establish clear expectations with both your child and their contacts. For example:
- No phone calls or messaging during school or after bedtime. Parents should communicate these rules to prevent distractions.
- Report anything unsafe. This includes anything that feels threatening, inappropriate or secretive.
“Let trusted contacts know they’re expected to be active listeners who respect privacy but also keep you informed when appropriate,” says Ashley Garrett, Vice President of Prevention Education at the Monique Burr Foundation.
Teach kids to set their own boundaries.
Kids should feel that they have control over who they connect with—but should also know that they don’t need to connect with or respond to everyone. “Kids don’t have to give their number to every classmate or interact digitally with someone they’re uncomfortable with,” says Powers.
Teaching kids to establish digital boundaries helps them protect their privacy and safety as they grow.
Check on the list regularly.
Your child’s list of trusted contacts should evolve over time. Regular check-ins can help keep the list relevant and reinforce safe digital habits.
“Frequent informal check-ins—like on the way home from school or at the dinner table—help establish trust while keeping parents informed of their child’s digital interactions,” says Powers.
Update the list when there are life changes.
Major life changes, like moving or getting new caregivers, are good times to reassess. “If new trusted adults enter your child’s life—like a teacher, a coach or a caregiver’s new partner—consider updating the contact list,” suggests Powers.
Regularly reviewing and updating contacts keeps the list up to date and builds trust by allowing children to have a say in who they can reach out to in an emergency.
Manage a trusted contact list from one app on your phone with Verizon Family
Verizon Family makes it easy to set and manage a list of trusted contacts for your child’s phone—directly from your device. Using the Verizon Family app, you can:
- Add or remove contacts as your child’s circle expands or changes.
- Limit communication to only approved numbers.
- Set up notifications so you can stay informed about their digital interactions.
The GizmoHub app makes it easy to manage the list of trusted contacts on your child’s Gizmo Watch, too:
- Set up to 20 trusted contacts, and only those approved contacts can call or text your child.
- Assign contacts custom roles, like Guardian, Caregivers, or Gizmo Buddies.
- Set up the SOS contact, who will be called if your child is in an emergency.
With GizmoHub, you’re in control of who can reach your child—helping them stay connected and safe.
Set ground rules before things get complicated.
At some point, your child is going to get a weird message or an unexpected call or be in a situation where they’re not sure who to turn to. That’s why a solid, well-thought-out trusted contact list isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.
That said, it’s important for parents to involve their kids in the process and discuss who you both feel should be on the list and why. This can help kids understand how to think through who they should add to their phone and into their lives.
Verizon Family makes managing trusted contacts easy.
