There are a lot of safe smartphones for kids out there. As a parent, you should monitor the way your kids use smartphones to keep your children safe from dangers and help them use technology correctly the right way. These child-friendly Smartphones with parental controls will help you to set boundaries and monitor your children’s activities.
We didn’t have smartphones when I was a little child.
The Nokia 3310 was the most popular phone, and anyone seen with one was seen as a “big man.” My dad got so excited that he offered to buy us one if we took the first position in the class.
So I studied hard and he got me the Nokia 3310 after I took first position.
But he took it away when he left for work or whenever he his not around, and I could only use it when he was home to play games and relax.
Besides that, he monitored my phone activities and asked me questions when needed. He kept me on track because he knew how teens could act, and I was eighteen at the time.
He would have taken the same action to shield me from threats he was already aware of if it had been a smartphone, such as the Android or iOS models available today.
Today’s parents ought to follow suit. Children who own smartphones are more likely to be exposed to risks such as improper content, cyberbullying, and predators on the internet, social media, and messaging apps.
Parents may make sure their children are using their devices securely by keeping an eye on what they are doing.
These days, you can monitor or limit activity on child-friendly smartphones that come with parental controls built in. Parents must make every effort to safeguard their children in this world that has already gone crazy.
To get started I present to you the 5 best phones with parental controls recommended by us for your kids.
5 Top Child-friendly Smartphones With Parental Controls in 2024
1. Pinwheel Pinwheel Pixel
Compatible carriers: Compatible with all major carriers, including 5G
Monthly cost: $15 for phone service, and $15 a month for Caregiver Portal
Display: 6.1 in.
Features: Rear and front cameras, wireless charging capability, 4K video capability
Parental controls: Caregiver Portal
The Pinwheel Pixel is a good option for the majority of children because it is robust, easy to use, and well-designed. For one tester who had an iPhone, the remarkably low learning curve of the Google Android technology made it easy to use.
The Pinwheel cell phone is robust; after being dropped and being used frequently by a 9-year-old, it has no dents, cracks, or wear and tear. Another benefit is that the battery lasts for more than 24 hours.
Among Pixel’s Caregiver Portal’s most remarkable features are the parental control settings. Apps and contacts can be approved by parents through the site. Any conversation and text messages that come in and leave out, including pictures, can be closely monitored.
Another fantastic feature is location monitoring; parents receive notifications on their phones each time their child departs a designated area.
Note: Parents reported that they had to contact Pixel with some questions because the setting process was a little confusing. Budgetary considerations should be made for the additional monthly fee associated with the Caregiver Portal.
2. Samsung Galaxy S23
- Compatible carriers: T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T
- Monthly cost: Depends on carrier
- Display: 6.1 in.
- Features: Camera, internet access, video chat, GPS tracking, text, talk, and more
- Parental controls: Control app usage, screen time, plus content filtering
We love this phone for older children and teenagers because to its high-end features and parental control capabilities, but we equally adore it for younger children due to its features. Our tester said the Samsung Galaxy S23’s camera was “superior” to the iPhone since it is so good.
We like the easy setup, easy-to-use UI, and excellent sound quality. It is a reliable choice that withstands being abandoned well.
Parents can access Samsung’s parental settings through a Google app on their own phone, which we found easy to manage. The ability to lock the phone via the app, effectively shutting it down to children as needed, was a popular feature among parents.
Parents can also monitor contacts, filter out content, restrict app usage, impose limitations on apps where children may be spending too much time, and limit their browser access.
You can set up notifications for their whereabouts, check how much time they spend on each app, and track the phone if it goes missing. Overall, it makes parents feel in charge.
Note: While we enjoyed the parental control capabilities, we wish there had been more options. The ability to oversee or manage their child’s texting and receive alerts when data or battery life was approaching were priorities for our testers. Since so many youngsters use iMessage for group chats, they also wished it had greater interaction with Apple phones and iMessage.
3. Pinwheel Kids Smartphone
- Compatible carriers: Works with all major carriers, including 5G
- Monthly cost: Service cost depends on carrier, with $15/month for Caregiver Portal
- Display: 6.6 in.
- Features: Camera, internet access, app access, fingerprint or face recognition unlock
- Parental controls: Location tracker, monitor communication, approve contacts and app downloads
The iPhone SE is an excellent entry-level smartphone for teenagers who truly desire an Apple product. Although it isn’t quite as technologically advanced as Apple’s more recent and expensive smartphones, it still has access to the internet, apps, and other features you would expect from a smartphone.
The smaller size of this phone makes it more practical for busy teens to carry around, and it is generally easy to use, especially for those who are accustomed to iOS UI.
The tracking features, which let you know where your child is at all times, are the feature that parent testers said they loved the most. Also, if the phone becomes lost, there is a tracking alarm, which is beneficial for inattentive children and teenagers.
Other parental control options that we enjoyed included usage limits, screen distance alerts (which instruct children to keep the screen farther away from their faces), content and contact blocking, permitting new contacts, purchase approval, and age-related content restrictions. Family Sharing is a user-friendly method for tailoring parental controls that aids in content filtering.
Note: This is smaller than most smartphones on the market, with a display size that is less than five inches (yet it still fits perfectly within a teen’s backpack). Regretfully, our tester reported that the phone seemed less sturdy and was too small for her teen’s hands as a result. Given that the phone needs to be charged every night, the battery life may also be increased.
4. Gabb Phone 3 Pro
- Compatible carriers: Gabb wireless network
- Monthly cost: Starts at $25 per month
- Display: 6.6 in.
- Features: Quad camera, Gabb Maps, safe storage cloud, Gabb Music+, Gabb Messenger
- Parental controls: Parent-managed app library, clean music streaming, no social media or internet browser
Parents who wish to have control over their child’s phone, such as limiting access to social media and the internet, might choose the Gabb Phone 3 Pro.
Parents or other adult caregivers can deactivate video calls, manage contacts, track location, and view and monitor text messages and phone call history via a website. Children cannot use it for social media, and there is no access to the internet for browsing.
One notable feature is the Gabb App Library, a parent-managed collection of apps that must pass Gabb’s vetting procedure in order to be considered kid-friendly (however it works is unknown).
It works well for parents who wish to restrict their children’s access to a wide range of apps, and parents must authorize app downloads. Other notable features are the kid-friendly Gabb Maps and clean music streaming via Gabb Music.
Note: While it appears that this phone was designed with smaller children in mind, our tester thought that the enormous screen was too wide and awkward for their 10-year-old son’s hands and pockets. Even though some people may find the limited app selection ideal, not everyone will, especially as children become older.
5. Nokia 2780 Flip
- Compatible carriers: Verizon, AT&T, Boost, Cricket, Simple Mobile, T-Mobile, H2O Wireless, Metro, Net10, Tracfone, and more
- Monthly cost: Varies by carrier
- Display: 2.7 in.
- Features: Keypad, internet access, camera
- Parental controls: Emergency SOS button, Social media limitations
While they might not be as fashionable as a huge glass smartphone, flip phones make an excellent choice for a first mobile phone. It is internet-connected, however, it cannot access social media apps such as Instagram or TikTok.
It also lacks the seamless experience of a kids’ smartwatch or a smartphone, so activities like viewing YouTube videos won’t be as enjoyable. If all you want them to do is call or text, this works well for that. It’s really simple to use.
The Nokia 2780 Flip was used by a 5-year-old for secure co-parenting. The phone has access to a camera and other useful apps, such as Google Maps. The external digital screen shows important details like the time and who is calling.
Conclusion
That has been the 5 top child-friendly smartphones with parental controls in 2024. By getting any of those phone models you will have no worries about the activities of your children as there are ways of setting boundaries and monitoring their activities even from your end. So they are in safe hands, don’t just get phones from the store for them, go for those we have recommended. With those, sexual content won’t pop up on their screen or anywhere.
I’m glad it helped you.
I’m Edidiong Ekpo, an experienced SEO content writer who writes well-researched articles to educate the public on various niches across the web.