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How to Set Up Your New Gabb Watch 3e

Learn how to set up, pair, and manage your Gabb Watch 3e with the MyGabb app—plus tips on plans, Safe Zones, contacts & troubleshooting.

Updated yesterday

Overview: Gabb watch setup tutorial video

Step 1: Pick your plan & activate service

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Pick your plan 📝

There are two ways to pick your plan:

➡️ If you purchased your Gabb watch from gabb.com, you picked your plan at checkout.

➡️ If you purchased your watch from an online marketplace like Amazon, you’ll pick your plan when you go to our activation portal.

Activate your service 📲

No matter where you purchased your watch, head to our activation portal to activate your Gabb Watch 3e.

Upgrade or replacement

Pick your plan 📝

Here's how you pick your plan if you are doing an upgrade or a replacement:

➡️ Upgrading your device? You’ll pick a new plan during checkout at gabb.com.

➡️ Replacing a device? You can keep your existing plan or pick a new one during checkout at gabb.com.

If you bought your upgrade/replacement watch from an online marketplace like Amazon, you’ll pick your new plan when you visit our activation portal.

Transfer your phone number & service to your new watch 📲

To transfer your phone number & service to your new Gabb Watch 3e, go to our activation portal & follow the steps to transfer your phone number & service.

Step 2: Pair your Gabb Watch 3e to the MyGabb app

Download the MyGabb app ⬇️

Download the MyGabb app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Log in to the MyGabb app ✏️

After you download the MyGabb app, use your Gabb account login credentials to log in to the app. Use the same username & password you use when you log in to your Gabb account (not your child's login).

Pair your watch to the MyGabb app ➡️

After you’re logged in to the MyGabb app, make sure that your (parent’s) smartphone has Bluetooth enabled and your Gabb Watch 3e is nearby. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Tap the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner.

  2. Tap Add Device.

  3. Tap Gabb Watch 3e.

  4. Follow the prompts to pair your watch to the MyGabb app.

Step 3: Set up your watch

Add approved contacts 👥

You can add up to 100 approved contacts to your child’s Gabb watch.

‼️ Your child won’t be able to contact someone who isn’t in the approved contacts list.

  1. Log in to the MyGabb app.

  2. Tap Manage, then tap on your Gabb Watch 3e.

  3. Tap Contacts.

  4. Tap the plus sign ➕ in the bottom-right corner, then tap New Contact.

  5. Enter the contact details, then tap Save.

Set up Safe Zones 🏠

A Safe Zone is a customizable area that allows you to be notified when your child arrives at or leaves a specified location.

When your child enters or leaves a Safe Zone, you’ll get updated between one second and 15 minutes later, depending on how long ago you received the last location update.

‼️ You can also click the Refresh button 🔄 in the MyGabb app at any time if you want a real-time location update.

  1. Log in to the MyGabb app.

  2. Tap Safe Zones.

  3. Tap the plus sign ➕ in the bottom-right corner of the map, enter the Safe Zone details, then tap Save.

Set up additional parental controls 🔒

You can also set up additional parental controls like Focus Mode, preset text messages and an SOS contact.

Learn more about Gabb's parental controls.

Troubleshooting

Start here 👇

Before trying any specific troubleshooting steps below, follow these steps first to see if that solves your issue:

  1. Make sure you have an active Gabb service plan.

  2. Force close the MyGabb app on your (parent's) smartphone.

  3. Update the MyGabb app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

  4. Turn the watch off & back on:

    1. Press & hold the power button (bottom button) for four seconds, then select the Power Off icon.

    2. Wait 15 seconds, then press & hold the power button for four seconds to turn the watch back on.

  5. Pair your watch to the MyGabb app again.

"Watch not found" error message

You may receive a "watch not found" error message when pairing a new Gabb Watch 3e to the MyGabb app via Bluetooth. To resolve this:

  1. Turn the watch off, then back on:

    • Press & hold the power button (bottom button) for four seconds, then select the Power Off icon.

    • Wait 15 seconds, then press & hold the power button for four seconds to turn the watch back on.

  2. Attempt to pair the watch again.

If you're still unable to pair the watch, try these steps one at a time:

➡️ First, ensure your Gabb Watch 3e is turned on & displays this screen.

"Add this device" screen

Then, try these steps:

  1. Press the back button (top button) on the watch to restart your Bluetooth connection.

  2. In the MyGabb app on the parent's smartphone, tap Try Again.

  3. Turn the Gabb Watch 3e off, then back on.

  4. Force close the MyGabb app:

    1. Press & hold the power button (bottom button) on the watch for four seconds, then select the Power Off icon.

    2. Wait 15 seconds, then press & hold the power button for four seconds to turn the watch back on.

    3. Force close the MyGabb app on your (parent's) smartphone.

    4. Try pairing your Gabb Watch 3e to the MyGabb app again after the watch turns back on.

  5. Pair your watch manually:

    1. Tap Add Device in the MyGabb app.

    2. When the Watch not Found screen appears, wait about 30 seconds. The option to pair manually should appear.

    3. Tap Setup Manually, then follow the prompts to pair your watch.

Set up manually

"Error checking plan" error message

If you have an active plan but you're getting a message that says "error checking plan" during the pairing process, follow these steps:

  1. Turn your Gabb Watch 3e off, then back on:

    • Press & hold the power button (bottom button) for four seconds, then select the Power Off icon.

    • Wait 15 seconds, then press & hold the power button for four seconds to turn the watch back on.

  2. Force close the MyGabb app on your (parent's) smartphone, then open it again.

  3. Tap Add Device, then follow the prompts to pair your Gabb Watch 3e.

"Hmm something went wrong" error message

Are you getting an error message that says "hmm something went wrong" when trying to pair your watch? When upgrading from a Gabb Watch 2 to a Gabb Watch 3e, the MyGabb app may ask you to reassign an existing Gabb ID or create a new Gabb ID. Because the Gabb Watch 2 did not use a Gabb ID, selecting the Reassign option can cause this error.

‼️ When upgrading from a Gabb Watch 2 to Gabb Watch 3e, be sure to select the option to Create a new Gabb ID when prompted.

Hmm, something went wrong

WiFi issues

Having issues connecting to WiFi? The Gabb watch only works on 2.4gHZ networks. Your network may only support 5gHZ.

Configure your router to support 2.4gHZ. After your router has been re-configured, try connecting your Gabb Watch 3e to your WiFi again.

Unpair/reset

To unpair your Gabb Watch 3e from the MyGabb app and reset it:

  1. Log in to the MyGabb app from your (parent’s) smartphone.

  2. Tap Profile next to the watch you want to unpair and reset.

  3. Scroll to the bottom, then tap Remove Device > Remove and Reset.

‼️ Unpairing & resetting your watch will wipe all the information from it, including messages, contacts, history, Gabb Go, etc.

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