Parents want safer phones for kids. These companies are answering the call.
As parents look for alternatives to unrestricted smartphones, a growing number of companies are building phones designed specifically for kids, from feature-limited mobile devices to minimalist home phones.
Key points
- Companies are making phones for kids that limit apps, browsers and social media, with parental controls.
- Bark's phone costs $240 plus a plan from $29 per month and scans content for risks.
- Gabb removes online risks entirely, with phones starting around $159.99 and service from $24.99 monthly.
As parents grow more worried about children having unrestricted smartphone access, a growing number of companies are building devices made specifically for kids, TechCrunch reports. These phones usually have touchscreens, cameras and calling features like regular smartphones, but their software is heavily changed to block or limit browsers, social media, app stores and other distractions.
Parents typically manage the devices through a companion app, where they can approve contacts, track location, set screen-time limits, choose which apps are available and, in some cases, get alerts about cyberbullying, explicit content or online predators. Some companies take a simpler route, selling devices that only call and text, and others make home phones for children, such as Tin Can and the recently launched Pinwheel Home.
Monitoring versus blocking
The Bark Phone, built on Samsung Galaxy hardware with Bark's monitoring software, allows calls and texts only with approved contacts and scans texts, emails, photos and supported apps for signs of cyberbullying, grooming, suicidal ideation and sexual content, then alerts parents. Parents can gradually unlock browsing and apps as a child matures. The standard model costs $240 plus a required wireless plan starting at $29 per month.
Gabb focuses less on monitoring and more on removing online risks. Its phones have no social media, browser or app store, offering calling, texting and a curated set of preloaded apps, plus a music streaming library the company calls "worry-free." Phone pricing starts around $159.99, with cellular service from about $24.99 per month.
worry-free
— Gabb
Other options and prices
Pinwheel lets parents approve every app, control contacts, schedule screen time and set different modes through the day; phones start around $119, with a Caregiver Portal subscription from $14.99 per month without cell service. Teracube, launched in 2022, runs a tailored Android called Thrive OS and is often recommended for older children; Thrive sells for $99 with plans from $35 per month.
Ooma MyPhone is a home phone costing $99.99 with service from $7.99 per month, allowing calls only between approved contacts. Tin Can, priced at $100, connects via Wi-Fi and has a free plan for calling other Tin Can users or a $9.99 monthly plan. Waffle opened preorders for Waffle Home ($119) and Waffle Go ($169), and TextNow's Yello! costs $149.99 upfront with a $19.99 monthly plan.
