Your child's first phone: a checklist before you hand it over

A first phone is a big moment. A little preparation makes the first months go much more smoothly, and it's far easier to start with sensible settings than to add them after your child is used to having none.

Not sure your child is ready? Read what age should a child get a phone first.

Before you buy

• Decide what the phone is for. Calling and texting you? School group chats? Games? The answer tells you whether a basic phone or a smartphone makes sense.
• Choose a phone that supports parental controls. Most Android phones from the last few years work with Google Family Link. iPhones use Screen Time and Family Sharing.
• Consider a hand-me-down. A reset older phone is fine for a first phone, as long as it still gets security updates.

SIM and load

• Register the SIM under your name. Under the SIM Registration Act (RA 11934), a SIM for a minor is registered in the name of the parent or guardian.
• Choose how load works. Small, regular load amounts teach budgeting. Avoid unlimited promos at first if you're worried about late-night use.
• Don't link your e-wallet to your child's phone or app store account.

Set up the phone yourself

Do this before you wrap it or hand it over.

1. Create a child account. On Android, create a Google account for your child through Family Link. On iPhone, add them to Family Sharing.
2. Set a screen lock your child knows and you know too.
3. Turn on app approvals so you approve every download.
4. Set content ratings for apps, games and films to your child's age.
5. Turn on SafeSearch and a web filter. See SafeSearch and web filters.
6. Set a device bedtime. For most children under 13, 9:00 or 9:30 PM to 6:00 AM is a good start.
7. Turn on location sharing with you, and turn it off for everyone else. See location sharing safety.
8. Remove apps you didn't choose. Many phones come with games and shopping apps preinstalled.
9. Turn off in-app purchases or require approval.
10. Save emergency contacts under clear names, and add ICE (in case of emergency) details to the lock screen.

Agree on the rules

Write down three to six rules together and stick them on the fridge. A family media plan has a template. Common first-phone rules:

• The phone charges in the kitchen or sala at night, not in the bedroom.
• No phones at meals.
• Ask before downloading anything new.
• Don't share your full name, school, address or photos in uniform with people you don't know.
• If anything online feels wrong, tell a grown-up. You won't be in trouble for telling.
• Parents can look at the phone, and will say when they do.

The first month

• Check in weekly. Look at the apps used and time spent together, not secretly.
• Expect mistakes. A broken rule is a chance to talk, not automatically a reason to take the phone away.
• Watch sleep and mood. If either changes, revisit the rules.
• Add apps slowly. One new app at a time, with a quick look at its settings first.

A first phone is training wheels. The goal over the next few years is a teenager who can manage their own phone well, with you stepping back as they show they're ready.