Buying a mobile phone for your child and keeping them safe online is a daunting task for any parent, especially now there's an increasing focus on the impact of social media and use in schools.
The charity Parentkind has called on the Government to put age restrictions on smartphones after it revealed 84% of 2,496 parents surveyed in England believe they are harmful to children, and three in five parents said they would support a smartphone ban for under 16s. That's led to rising interest in 'dumb' phones – basic handsets that allow kids to contact you in emergencies without becoming a distraction. But if your child needs access to the internet, specific apps, or a decent camera, a smartphone with parental controls might be a better option.
We've picked out a range of popular handsets and explain how you can use parental controls to manage access.
How much do you need to spend on a first mobile phone?
If you're after the cheapest option, or don't want your child to have access to the internet, a 2G dumb phone might be perfect. These old-school phones from brands like Nokia offer texts and calls without much else. They're a good option if you want your child to be connected when out of the house or at school. Basic phones can cost as little as £25.
However, you may not want to entirely discount a smartphone, perhaps restricted to use at home or outside school. Many parents may have an old phone they can pass down, but if you need to buy a new one, it's possible to get good, affordable handsets for under £150. We reveal a selection of models below – but shop around, check our mobile phone reviews, and consider additional savings that can be made from shopping in the second hand market – we've got all you need to know in our guide to buying a second-hand phone. The key thing to remember with a smartphone, as we'll explain below, is setting up parental controls.
How to choose a Sim card
In addition to a phone, you'll also need a Sim card for both dumb phones and smartphones. Fortunately, these can be purchased fairly cheaply. Our pick of the best Sim-only deals includes rolling monthly Sim cards from as little as £5 per month, and you can get additional discounts on family Sim plans.
Alternatively, many providers offer Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) options, which involve topping up a Sim card each month and a set price per minute, text, or megabyte of data. For low use, this may be the cheapest option – for example 1p Mobile offers a PAYG tariff that charges 1p per minute for a call, 1p per text and 1p per MB of data, provided you top up at least £10 every 90 days. Read our guide to the best mobile providers to see which networks come out on top, and where we detail in our mobile provider reviews whether PAYG options are available.
While 3G is being phased out in the UK, 2G should be around until 2033, so a 2G phone should have legs for a good few years yet.
Best 2G 'dumb phones' for texts and calls
Dumb phones generally have long battery lives and will help you limit the time your child spends online and on social media. But a 2G phone will not have access to any apps that need the internet, such as WhatsApp. Some benefit from having an SOS button, which can alert chosen contacts to an emergency when pressed, and handy additional features like a flashlight.
TCL 4022S
The TCL 4022S has a classic 'brick' phone design and comes with basic applications like a torch, calculator, calendar and voice recorder. It has Bluetooth, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack for connecting wired headphones. The phone also comes with 16MB of internal memory, which is enough to save texts, contacts and some photographs.
It's just for the basics though, since without predictive text, writing messages will feel a bit laborious.
Check out our full review of the TCL 4022S, or buy it from the retailers below.
Nokia 3310
This nostalgic phone will take a lot of us back to the noughties, and of course, it has the game Snake for your kids to enjoy. Its price might feel high for a 2G dumb phone but it benefits from a decent-sized 2.40-inch screen, a 2Mp rear camera, a large 1,200mAh battery, and an FM radio.
Buy it direct from Nokia or at the retailers below.
Nokia 105
Simple and compact, this phone can store up to 2,000 numbers and 500 texts. It has a small 1.8-inch display, and Nokia describe it as 'tough and rugged', so it should survive any slippery fingers. There's a torch, MP3 player and classic games like Snake. It can connect to wired headphones using the headphone jack.
You can buy it direct from Nokia or from the retailers below.
4G 'dumb phones' with limited internet access
Some dumb phones have 4G connectivity, which means they can access the internet. Browsing the web is generally slow and fiddly in comparison to using a touchscreen smartphone, but it means your child might be able to access to the internet from their phone, and have access to a limited set of apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook. If you'd prefer a phone not to have internet access, check to see if this is available before you buy, or consider a smartphone with effective parental controls instead.
For example., the Nokia 2260 Flip has all the features of a dumb Nokia phone, but it has a built-in web browser and 4G. SQUIRREL_TEXT_50011740
We haven't tested the Nokia 800 Tough – but it might appeal as a heavy-duty phone that Nokia claims can withstand harsh conditions. With 4G-connectivity, it supports some apps like Google Maps, YouTube and WhatsApp. But you can't use every WhatsApp feature, such as audio or video calling. SQUIRREL_TEXT_50014275
Smartphones for kids: Android and iPhone parental controls
There are lots of ways to control what your kids can do on their smartphones, what they see online, and how long they can access apps for. If they already have a smartphone, or you think it's a more suitable purchase, using parental controls effectively should give you peace of mind. Each of our handset recommendations below run on iOS (Apple) or Android, which have a number of parental control options – we explain how these work below.
You can also check our smartphone reviews – while some cost more than £600 to buy outright, we’ve found several Best Buy mobile phones that cost less than £400, and Great Value phones for under £200.
Apple iPhone SE
A lot of kids want a glitzy iPhone, so Apple's cheapest may be the ticket. It's great for smaller hands with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 1,334 x 750-pixel resolution. It starts from 64GB of storage and has the same processor as in the iPhone 13 series – the A15 Bionic chipset. On the back is a 12Mp wide camera on the front is a 7Mp one for selfies. You can keep it secure for a while too since it is expected to get security support until March 2028.
Read our fullApple iPhone SE 2022 reviewto see how it fared in our rigorous lab tests. Compare contract deals, or buy it from the retailers below.
It's likely you'll find a great deal on any Apple iPhone on the second-hand market. But bear in mind that you'll need to opt for an iPhone 12 or later to get at least two years of security support.
Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is one of Samsung's cheapest handsets, but it comes with some great specs. It's a thin and sleek device with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with 1,080 x 2,340-pixel resolution. On the back are three camera lenses and 128GB of storage to hold all of your child's photos and videos. It still has over four years of security support guaranteed left (January 2029), so your child should be able to enjoy it for a long time.
For the full scoop on this bargain phone, read our full Samsung Galaxy A15 5G review. It's available to buy Sim-free from the retailers below.
Samsung Galaxy A35
Two steps up from the Samsung Galaxy A15 5G, we find the Samsung Galaxy A35 with more premium features. The 6.6-inch OLED screen with 2,340 x 1,080 resolution and high 120Hz refresh rate to keep scrolling smooth. The triple camera system looks prominent on the back of the phone and videos can be recorded in 4K quality with both the rear and front cameras. It comes with 128GB or 256GB of storage and there are a few shiny colours your child can choose from. We expect it will get security support until March 2029.
Find out it's Which? score in our full Samsung Galaxy A35 review. Or buy it using the links below.
Looking for the latest deals? See our list of the best mobile phone and Sim-only deals.
Parental controls on Apple and Android
Built-in parental controls on Apple and Android phones allow you to restrict and supervise a number of activities on a smartphone. These include:
Apple (iOS)
- Control screen time
- Restrict access to the phone at certain times of the day
- Prevent app downloads and restrict built-in apps, such as Mail or Safari
- Restrict access to certain types of content. For example, any films above a ‘PG’ rating, or music with explicit lyrics
- Restrict Siri's features, like preventing it from searching the web or displaying explicit language
- Restrict Game Center features, such as connecting with friends and private messaging
- Change how much information apps have access to. For example, disallowing a social media app's access to the phone's camera
Android
Most Android controls are done through the Family Link app.These include:
- See and control screen time for the phone and individual apps
- Locate your child's phone
- Block certain Google Play apps
- Prevent all or some app downloads, such as social media apps or those with mature content
- Filter or restrict access in the Play Games app
- Prevent third-party apps seeing sensitive information in your child's Google account
How to set up built-in parental controls
Apple (iOS)
Accessing parental controls on an iPhone should be fairly straightforward.
- Go to Settings, then Screen Time on your child's device.
- Choose This is My Child's [Device].
- Set up a passcode to prevent your child changing your settings, and a passcode for controlling screen time settings.
- Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Choose which types of content you want to impose restrictions on from the options listed.
Apple's full instructions are outlined on Apple's parental controls page.
Android
While parental control setup works similarly across most Android phones, they may differ depending on the brand, so take the below as a rough guide.
- Open the Play Store app.
- Go to Menu, then Settings, then Parental controls.
- Turn parental controls on.
- Createa PIN, to stop someone who doesn’t know the PIN from changing the parental control settings.
- Select the type of content you want to restrict access to.
Many restrictions are controlled through the Family Link app from the Google Play Store. Google's full instructions are detailed onGoogle's manage devices, apps and screen time page.
More useful parental controls and apps for smartphones
In addition to the default options outlined above, here are some extra precautions you can take to keep your child safe on their smartphone.
1. Specialised apps
There are dedicated smartphone apps that allow you to control and monitor your child's activity on websites, apps, and social media. You can track their phone's location, get alerts of what they're up to, and monitor their screen time.
Some only let you monitor rather than block content, and some only offer certain features for free with others you have to pay for. Popular apps include Google Family Link (free, but for Android only), Norton Family (Android only), Kaspersky Safe Kids, Qustodio, Mobicip, FamilyTime and Net Nanny.
2. Controls within apps
You can change the settings and preferences within a lot of apps, such as content and chat filters, and privacy or in-app purchase settings. Instagram provides safety features in its Parents Guide, Facebook has a Parents Portal, and TikTok has a Guardian's Guide.
3. Stop unwanted downloads
For Android phones that have the Google Play Store, you can manage your child's Google Play apps, including how to block downloads according to how mature the apps are. This can apply to music, books, games, movies and TV.
Apple offers similar restrictions in preventing iTunes and app store purchases.
4. Web browsing restrictions
You can set up filters for search engines to restrict search results. This is sometimes referred to as SafeSearch. Here are the links to the settings for Bing, Google and Yahoo.
5. Home broadband controls
You can set up parental controls on your home broadband to blanket ban certain searches. Your wi-fi provider will be able to set this up for you. The provider might have online advice or you will have to contact them directly to set up the restrictions. However, this will only control searches on your home wi-fi connection, and it won't control searches on mobile broadband (4G or 5G) or public wi-fi. You can set up restrictions on your child's searches on 4G and 5G connections through their mobile phone provider.
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