Alternatives to giving your child a smartphone

If you want your child reachable but you aren’t ready for a smartphone, you’ve got more options than the choice the shops present. The realistic alternatives, from simplest to most capable: a basic phone, a flip phone, a children’s GPS watch, a minimal phone for older teens, and a parent-controlled smartphone for the cases where an app is genuinely required. Here’s what each is for. Match one to your child rather than defaulting to a smartphone because that’s what’s on the shelf.

For most first-phone situations, a basic phone is the answer. The others are for specific needs.

1. A basic phone (the default alternative)

Calls, texts, a torch, long battery. No internet, app store or social media. The alternative most families land on, because it meets the real need (contact) without the part they’re wary of. Examples and prices in our ranked list of simple phones. For most it’s the Nokia 3210 (2024) at around £79 on Amazon UK, or the Nokia 105 4G at around £24 on Amazon UK for the lowest cost.

2. A flip phone

Same idea in a clamshell that closes. Screen protected in a bag. Closing action is simple and satisfying. Often an SOS key. Suits younger children especially. Our pick is the Nokia 2660 Flip. See the best flip phone for kids.

3. A children’s GPS watch

Worn on the wrist, hard to lose, focused on location plus calls to a small approved list. Suits a younger child where knowing where they are is the main aim. Caveats: frequent charging, an ongoing subscription. We compare it with a phone in smartwatch vs phone for a child.

4. A minimal phone (for older teens stepping back)

If your child already has a smartphone and you’re trying to move them off it, a design-led minimal phone can make the change feel like a choice rather than a punishment. The Light Phone III is the example, though it’s a premium option at £399 direct from Light and ships from the US.

5. A parent-controlled smartphone (when an app is required)

Sometimes a school genuinely requires a smartphone for a specific app. The honest alternatives there: a Pinwheel Plus, which lets you whitelist only the apps you allow, or a refurbished iPhone SE from £169 at Back Market UK with Screen Time set up properly. Smartphones, so they need ongoing management. The controlled versions.

What about no phone at all?

For younger children, no phone is still a perfectly good answer. The school office takes messages. A landline works. Most clubs and activities have a way to reach parents. There’s no rule that a child of a given age must have a device. If the practical need hasn’t arrived yet, waiting is a legitimate choice.

Matching one to your child

The quickest way to choose is our ninety-second picker. Five questions, one option. The principle behind all these alternatives is the same. Give your child what the situation genuinely needs, and no more, for as long as that holds.

How to choose between these

Three questions and the right alternative usually falls out. What’s the actual need? “Be reachable on a journey”: basic or flip phone, stop there. “Know where my young child is”: a GPS watch enters the picture. “The school mandates an app”: parent-controlled smartphone territory.

How old is your child? Younger children suit watches and flips. Start of secondary suits a basic slab phone. Older teens stepping back from a smartphone suit a minimal phone.

How much do you want to manage day to day? A basic phone needs no ongoing controls because there’s nothing to control. Any smartphone, however locked down, is a device you’ll keep an eye on. If you’d rather answer five quick questions than weigh all this yourself, the ninety-second picker does it and points at one option.

Common questions

What can I give my child instead of a smartphone? A basic phone is the usual answer for being contactable. Other options: a flip phone, a children’s GPS watch for younger kids, a minimal phone for older teens, or, where a school app is required, a parent-controlled smartphone.

Is it okay not to give my child a phone at all? Yes, especially for younger children. The school office, a landline and activity organisers all provide ways to reach parents. Waiting until there’s a real practical need is reasonable.

What’s the best alternative for a first phone? For most families, a basic phone. Meets the core need (calls and texts) without the internet and social media, at low cost.