Parents want safer phones for kids. These companies are answering the call.
News Source
β’Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:00:00 +0000
π° What Happened
More companies are selling phones built for children. The devices look like normal smartphones, but they block social media, app stores and open web browsing. Parents use an app to approve contacts and set limits.
Some firms go further and sell simple call-and-text phones, or home phones for kids. Prices run from about $100 to $240, plus a monthly plan.
π The Backstory
Parents have worried about screen time and online strangers for years. Reports about bullying and harmful content made those fears louder. Big phone makers mostly left this market to small start-ups.
Brands like Bark, Gabb and Pinwheel now compete on how much they block. Bark watches messages and sends alerts. Gabb removes the internet almost completely.
π― Why It Matters
These phones give families a middle path between no phone and a full smartphone. But parents still have to decide how much watching is too much.
More companies are selling phones built for children. The devices look like normal smartphones, but they block social media, app stores and open web browsing. Parents use an app to approve contacts and set limits.
Some firms go further and sell simple call-and-text phones, or home phones for kids. Prices run from about $100 to $240, plus a monthly plan.
Parents have worried about screen time and online strangers for years. Reports about bullying and harmful content made those fears louder. Big phone makers mostly left this market to small start-ups.
Brands like Bark, Gabb and Pinwheel now compete on how much they block. Bark watches messages and sends alerts. Gabb removes the internet almost completely.
These phones give families a middle path between no phone and a full smartphone. But parents still have to decide how much watching is too much.