Kids' Device Guide

Phones and smartwatches for kids ages 15 and up

By Jason, father of two · Sources checked September 2026

No device in our guide has a suggested age range that covers all of ages 15 and up; Bark Phone and Pinwheel Phone overlap part of it.

For social media, the AAP suggests waiting until children are at least 13, and notes that the age 13 used by platforms comes from federal communications policy and does not seem to be based on any specific sign of developmental readiness.[1]

Devices that fit ages 15 and up

Also worth a look

Our suggested age range overlaps part of ages 15 and up.

None of the devices in our guide has a suggested age range that covers all of 15 and up. If your teen uses a regular smartphone, compare parental control apps.

Your phone, carrier, and dealbreakers matter as much as age. The quiz weighs them for you.

What health authorities say about teens

For social media, the AAP suggests waiting until children are at least 13, and notes that the age 13 used by platforms comes from federal communications policy and does not seem to be based on any specific sign of developmental readiness.[1] The AAP says getting a phone does not mean automatically getting social media, and suggests starting with texting only.[2] The U.S. Surgeon General's 2026 warning advises families to delay giving children access to tablets, smartphones, and social media as long as possible, and says parents can delay access to different devices by age.[3][4]

Sources

  1. [1] American Academy of Pediatrics, Age to Introduce Social Media (expert Q&A) (Health authority; checked September 2026)
  2. [2] American Academy of Pediatrics, Getting Your First Phone (expert Q&A) (Health authority; checked September 2026)
  3. [3] U.S. Surgeon General (HHS), Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use (2026 advisory, PDF) (Government; checked September 2026)
  4. [4] U.S. Surgeon General (HHS), The Harms of Screen Use (Government; checked September 2026)

Device fit uses our suggested age ranges; everything else on this page is quoted from the sources above. How we verify

Other ages