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Holiday Activation & Setup

Get your Gabb holiday gift ready with ease! Follow our holiday checklist to set up your child’s Gabb Phone or Watch before gift day, or use delayed activation to buy early and start service later—ensuring a smooth, stress-free unwrapping experience.

Updated this week

Holiday overview

It’s that time of year again—time to start thinking about spending time with friends and family, planning exciting holiday activities, and of course, giving gifts. 🎁

We want to make sure that you and your child have a great experience this holiday, so here are two things to help ensure your Gabb gift is successful:

  • Holiday checklist: Complete these items before your child opens their device so it’s ready to go out of the box.

  • Delayed activation: Buy your device early, start your service plan closer to the holiday.

Holiday checklist: Make your new Gabb device a success this holiday

To make sure giving your child a new Gabb Phone or Gabb Watch is the best gift experience possible this holiday season, perform the following steps before your child opens their gift:

‼️ Complete these setup steps by December 16 to make sure your child’s new Gabb device is ready to go when they open it.

  1. Purchase your Gabb device:

    • New lines: New lines can be purchased on gabb.com or on select online marketplaces, like Amazon and Walmart (pending availability).

    • Upgrade or replacement lines: Use the Upgrade or Replace option inside your Gabb account, or order a new Gabb device from an online marketplace.
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  2. Pick your plan and activate service:

    • New lines: Visit our activation portal to activate and set up your new device when you’re ready.

    • Upgrade or replacement lines: Visit our activation portal to transfer your service to your new device when you’re ready.
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  3. Set up your device:
    ​    Download the MyGabb app on a parent's smartphone to pair your new Gabb device.

After you’ve finished these steps, your new Gabb Phone or Gabb Watch is ready to go! As soon as your child opens their gift, they’ll be able to use their new phone or watch right away. You won’t have to log on or contact us to get their device ready that morning.

Performing all of these steps prior to gift opening day will ensure the best experience for your child. Happy holidays! 🎄 🕎

Delaying activation/service for the holiday

We're happy to offer delayed activation this holiday season. Delayed activation allows you to buy your gift early and have it ready to go when your child is ready to unwrap their gift. If you want to buy your child’s new Gabb device early this holiday season, but wait to activate it until later, delayed activation may be right for you.

How does delayed activation work?

  1. Buy a new Gabb Watch 3e, Gabb Phone 4, or Gabb Phone 4 Pro on gabb.com between October 30-November 25.

  2. Select Delayed Activation at checkout.

  3. Your device will automatically activate between December 1-5.

  4. Set up your new device between December 5-16.

  5. Wrap your gift. Your child will be able to use their device right when they unwrap it, without you needing to log on or contact us.

Holiday setup FAQs

I finished setting up my device before December 16. What do I need to do now?

If you set up your device before December 16, you’re all set! You can wrap the gift, and when they open it, they’ll be able to use it right away.

It’s past November 25th and I want to delay my service start date closer to Christmas. How do I do this?

  • New line ordered from Gabb: Delayed activation will not be available for new orders after November 25.

  • New line ordered from an online marketplace: Devices ordered from an online marketplace (like Amazon) are shipped inactive. Delayed activation isn’t necessary, because the device isn’t active when it ships.

    • Visit our activation portal whenever you are ready to start service on your new device.

  • Upgrade or replacement line: Upgrade or replacement devices ship inactive. Delayed activation isn’t necessary, because the device isn’t active when it ships.

    • Visit our activation portal whenever you are ready to start service on your upgrade or replacement device.

When does the delayed activation go into effect?

If you selected delayed activation during checkout, your new Gabb Phone or Gabb Watch will be automatically activated between December 1-5.

When will I get my first bill for my new Gabb device?

When you select delayed activation, your device is automatically activated between December 1-5. Your first full month of service will start December 7. You’ll receive a prorated charge from the day your device activates and December 7.

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