TickTalk 6 Review: Is This Kids Smartwatch Better Than A Phone?

TickTalk 6 is the latest in a line of smartwatches made for kids. In a world where having a smartphone feels like the default, and a child getting their own device feels like an inevitability, TickTalk offers an alternative: a smartwatch with no web browser. The need to connect with your child could be satisfied with this device without the added anxiety that comes with giving said child the keys to the entire wide and open web. 

This watch is part of a kid-and-parent smart wearable system that's been refined over the past decade by the brand (TickTalk), having released their first piece of hardware back in 2016. As such, it would seem that we should be able to get the "can I trust this company to continue to support this device in the future" question out of the way immediately: this company is in it for the long haul. They've proven their dedication to this device line and to supporting the people they serve — both adults and kids included. 

Over the past few weeks we've been testing TickTalk 6 with both kids and adults (but mostly kids) to see how well it holds up and functions.

The body of the TickTalk 6 watch comes in one size: a size meant for a child's wrist. The given strap for the watch works with Velcro and is quite comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The underside of the watch is smooth, all of its corners are rounded — it's a comfortable piece of hardware to keep strapped to a wrist all day long.

The watch is controlled by the device's touchscreen and two hardware buttons on its right side. The software is intuitive and simple to use. Some parts of the software feel a bit more "this is meant only for a young child" than I think is strictly necessary, but the overall experience is solid.

TickTalk makes clear in their promotional materials for the device that they intend the watch to be worn by kids between the ages of 3 and 12. You will need to judge if your child is responsible enough to keep the watch on their wrist and responsible enough to use the communication features the watch enables.

Chris Burns/SlashGear

I think that age range is stretching the boundaries of reality a little bit, given the average kid's ability and willingness to cooperate — but you know your kid best.

Chris Burns/SlashGear

In the box you get a charging cord and a protective case for the watch, a single wrist band, and the smartwatch itself. While not absolutely necessary, I'd also recommend buying the official charging stand. It's cute and it comes with an extra-long charging cord to boot.

You do not absolutely need a mobile data plan to use a TickTalk 6, but without one, the device's key features are quite limited. 

TickTalk 6 Features That Work Without Internet:

• Camera (Photos, Video)
• Activity Tracker (Pedometer, tracking steps)
• Timer (Countdown time)
• Stopwatch
• Clock (Check the time)
• Calendar (Check the date)
• Calculator (Four-function arithmetic)
• Contacts (See contact info)
• Reminders (alarms set up by the phone app for the watch)

TickTalk 6 Features That Require Internet Connectivity:

• TickTalk Radio (also needs $5/mo subscription)
• In-App FaceTalk video calling
• In-App Messaging
• In-App Group Messaging
• In-App Voice Calling
• TickTalkie (walkie-talkie push-to-talk system, watch-to-watch only)

Features That Require Internet Connectivity With A TickTalk Wireless Plan:

• SMS Messaging
• Real-Time GPS tracking
• One-tap SOS Calling/911
• Cellular Voice Calling
• Remote Callback Requests

The camera quality on this watch is decent, considering the audience. Video calls with this system are usable, but certainly not on the quality level you'd find with your average midrange smartphone (or better) in 2026. The microphone system and speaker system on the watch are also both decent considering the audience — usable, not fantastic.

Typing messages on the smartwatch's keyboard is surprisingly good — much better than I remember the first wave of smartwatches being back when smartwatches first started taking off in 2014 with systems like Google Wear. The display and touchscreen system is responsive and highly usable.

In earlier versions of the TickTalk watch, you'd need to work with a 3rd-party wireless carrier to get mobile data for your watch. Now, (and starting back with TickTalk 5 in 2024,) they work with their own Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) system called TickTalk Wireless. You'll have a choice of working with this MVNO with AT&T data or T-Mobile data in the USA — but you'll be paying for said data through TickTalk Wireless.

TickTalk 6 works with an eSIM system, which means you cannot simply pop your own SIM card in this device to get it connected to your network of choice. Earlier TickTalk watches worked with the ability to swap carriers with a SIM card kit — this one is all eSIM. The good news, here, is that it is relatively easy and inexpensive (depending on how you judge such things) at $10 per month for an "Essential" plan and $20 for a "Premium" plan with unlimited talk, text, and data.

As a concerned parent, an essential question you probably always ask about any internet-connected device used by your children is: Where does the data go? TickTalk is very open about data storage, tracking, and sharing between a TickTalk watch and your phone. Their Third Party Service Providers webpage suggests they work with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to transmit data, and that all data is subject to end-to-end encryption before being sent to/through AWS. As far as keeping (transmitted) data safe, that (end-to-end encryption) is about the best you can hope for at the moment with this kind of device. 

TickTalk also says they use Google Maps for device location mapping, but that Google cannot view any location information used or transmitted by the user. They also mention that "TickTalk Tech LLC does not store any Child Personal Information in the Google Cloud service."

In short: the data is either on the watch, on your smartphone, or it's encrypted as it's traveling back and forth over the internet. And when we say "the data" we're talking about videos and photos recorded with the watch, we're talking about text messages to and from the watch, and we're talking about GPS location data recorded and transmitted by the watch. 

Yes, there are other kid-aimed smartwatches out there, some of them quite similar to TickTalk 6. But if you're reading this, chances are you've already decided that you're buying a smartwatch for your child, and that it'll be TickTalk 6 or your old smartphone — or a cell phone without internet connectivity.

Is this smartwatch better than giving your child an old smartphone? It depends on what you're trying to do — and trying to avoid. If you want to be able to see where your child is (assuming they've got the watch or the phone on their person), both devices could do that reliably (so long as they are connected to a mobile network). If you want to communicate with your child, the watch works just as well as a phone — but it may be easier for your child to keep track of a smartwatch attached to their wrist.

Probably the most important feature of the TickTalk 6 smartwatch is its limits. If you want a device that can track your child with GPS and allow them to communicate with you WITHOUT also giving your child access to the wide open internet, TickTalk 6 is better than a smartphone. It's a step above a non-smart phone (which has no GPS tracking), but a step below the Internet All Access Pass that is your average smartphone.

TickTalk 6 is available for sale on the TickTalk online store for approximately $170. If I were buying a smartwatch for my kid or kids, this is the one I'd buy here at the tail end of 2026, and I'd subscribe to the basic "Essential" data plan, too. This watch is comfortable and user-friendly, it's reliable, and it feels like its enabled and limited in all the ways it should be.