While myFirst has had child-focused smartwatches, cameras, audio gear and frames under its belt for the longest time, its ecosystem has always been a steady work in progress. CES 2026 is where that starts to change with a platform update that connects the dots between several key devices more deliberately.
myFirst Circle 4.0 is the new major update to the brand’s family platform. Previously, Circle functioned largely as a smartwatch companion app, with limited photo-sharing and social integration for devices like the Frame (earlier digital picture frame models).
Version 4.0 expands Circle towards a more involved family layer. Circle Map 2.0 introduces group-based live location views with clearer social rules baked in; Ghost Mode lets children hide their location from friends while remaining visible to parents; and expanded sharing lets families define who sits inside — or just outside — the immediate circle. A refreshed interface better integrates communication, location, and shared content, making the information flow feel less like a collection of separate apps. The new Brand Channel adds a curated stream of kid-safe educational and wellness content within that same environment, while Apple Watch compatibility gives parents a secondary, glanceable way to stay connected without relying solely on a phone interface.
The update also helps to contextualise the integration with myFirst’s newest hardware. The myFirst Frame Clario is a connected 7-inch digital frame designed to sit inside the Circle environment rather than operate as a generic smart display with basic app linkage. Video calls, photo sharing, and voice notes are initiated and managed through Circle, with content kept within the family’s private network. Every day ‘background’ functions, including reminders, calendars, alarms, and ambient soundscapes, are similarly tied to Circle accounts, positioning it as a shared, account-managed hub rather than a passive display — not unlike a Google Home device but designed with family in mind.
The myFirst Insta Prinx Mini takes a similar approach, albeit from the creator’s perspective. While it serves as a standalone camera for capture, its photo personalisation and phone-to-camera printing features are accessed via the Circle app, keeping printing and sharing within the same family-managed environment. In practical terms, the camera provides both the fun of physical and digital photos while protecting the digital footprints.
Circle 4.0 reinforces a direction myFirst has always been working towards, and the new announcements make that direction more explicit; they sound good on paper, so what’s next is answering the question of whether these newly formalised connections between devices will be prove to be coherent and useful for real-world use.
