Kid-Safe Phones Are Now a Real Market: Eight Players, Prices Compared

The Bark Phone costs $240 plus a mandatory wireless plan starting at $29 a month — and it's one of the most popular kid-specific smartphones on the market. That price point frames a fast-growing category: companies building phones that strip out browsers, social media and app stores so parents can hand children a device without handing them the open internet.

Today's kid-friendly phones keep the touchscreens, cameras and calling of regular smartphones. The software is heavily modified to remove or restrict web browsing, social media and app stores. Parents manage everything through companion apps — approving contacts, tracking location, setting screen-time limits and, on some devices, receiving alerts about cyberbullying, explicit content or online predators.

Some companies go further, selling minimalist devices that only call and text. Others have built home phones specifically for children, like Tin Can and the recently launched Pinwheel Home.

What does the Bark Phone offer?

Bark builds on Samsung Galaxy hardware and runs its own monitoring software. Calls and texts work only with approved contacts. Bark continuously scans texts, emails, photos and supported apps for signs of cyberbullying, grooming, suicidal ideation and sexual content, then sends alerts to parents.

The standout feature: parents can gradually unlock web browsing and apps as a child matures. The phone includes GPS tracking and screen-time management. The standard model runs $240 with plans from $29 per month; higher tiers add internet access and unlimited texting.

How is Gabb different?

Gabb focuses less on monitoring content and more on eliminating online risks altogether. Its phones ship with no social media, no browser and no app store. Children get calling, texting and a curated set of preloaded apps — camera, calendar, calculator — plus what the company calls its "worry-free" music streaming library with millions of songs.

Parents can view location and manage device settings. An optional service, "Gabb Guard," blocks spam calls and unwanted texts. Phones start at $159.99, with cellular service from $24.99 per month.

What makes Pinwheel flexible?

Pinwheel lets parents approve every app, control contacts, schedule screen time, create custom routines and review location history. Its signature feature is daily "modes": the phone can be limited to calling and navigation during school hours, then unlock more functions after homework.

Phones start around $119, and the Caregiver Portal subscription costs $14.99 per month without cell service — cellular comes separately through participating carriers. Pinwheel also launched two landline phones at $68 and $79, plus a $160 smartwatch.

Who should consider Teracube Thrive?

Launched in 2022, Teracube sells a tailored Android build called Thrive OS. Parents approve every app download, filter web browsing, set app-specific and overall screen-time limits, monitor location and build routines for school or bedtime. Because it keeps more traditional smartphone features, it's often recommended for older children. Thrive sells for $99, with plans starting at $35 per month.

Can a landline actually work for kids?

Ooma MyPhone isn't a mobile phone at all. It's a modern replacement for the household landline. Its Trusted Circle feature allows calls only between approved contacts. The service offers scheduled Quiet Hours, address-based 911, emergency alerts when 911 is dialed, and call-log review through an online portal. There are no apps, internet, texting or social media. The phone costs $99.99; service starts at $7.99 per month.

Tin Can takes a similar idea further for $100. It resembles a landline phone with a tin can design — the inspiration for its name. It needs no phone jack and connects over Wi-Fi. Only approved contacts can call, blocking spam and unauthorized communications. Parents manage contacts through a companion app. A free plan covers calls between Tin Can users; a $9.99 monthly plan adds calls to all approved contacts.

What's new in the category?

Waffle, a newer entrant, recently opened preorders for two screen-free devices: Waffle Home, a $119 landline phone, and Waffle Go, a $169 walkie-talkie-style device with three buttons that only makes voice calls and plays voice notes. Parents approve contacts, see location and control calling windows through the companion app. Both ship November 23.

TextNow, the Canadian telecommunications company, launched its own kid phone, Yello!. It looks like a normal touchscreen smartphone but has no app store, no social media and no unrestricted web access. Parents see location and battery life, and control which games and contacts are allowed. Yello! costs $149.99 upfront with a $19.99 monthly plan.

With entry prices now spanning $68 landlines to $240 monitored smartphones, the kid-phone market has moved from niche experiment to a full-price-tier product category — and the November 23 Waffle shipment will test whether parents will buy screen-free hardware sight unseen.