What age should a child get a phone?
There’s no magic number, but there is good evidence. What UK data, the NSPCC and child-development experts say about the right age for a first phone, and a practical way to decide for your child.
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Parent guides
Guides for choosing a first phone
Objective, evidence-based guides for one of the most stressful decisions in modern parenting. No scare tactics, no hard sell – just what the UK data and experts actually say, and a sensible way to decide for your own child.
Best first phone for kids: an objective buying guide
There isn’t one ‘best’ first phone, only the right one for your child. A fair look at every option, from basic phones to safer smartphones, and how to choose.
Read the guideiPhone with Screen Time vs a kids’ phone
Thinking of an old iPhone with Screen Time instead of a purpose-built kids’ phone? A straight comparison of what each actually does, the real costs, and what happens as your child grows.
Read the guideWill my child be left out without a phone?
The fear of leaving a child out ends most parents’ resolve. What social exclusion actually involves, what the evidence says, and how families hold the line without isolating their child.
Read the guideWhatsApp and your child
It looks like simple texting. For many children it is their first social network. What sits behind the little green icon, and the questions to ask before you say yes.
Read the guideBest phone for a 10 or 11 year old
Ten and eleven is when most UK children get their first phone, at the jump to secondary school. What to weigh for this exact age, the real options, and how to decide.
Read the guideWhat happens when they turn 14?
At 13, the law and the platforms hand a chunk of the decision to your child, ready or not. What that means for choosing a first phone, and how to keep the timeline yours.
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