Should my child get a smartwatch or a phone first?
By Jason, father of two · Sources checked September 2026
Short answer
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests talking with your child about options like a flip phone or watch that allows communication without all the digital baggage.[1] The U.S. Surgeon General's 2026 warning advises delaying smartphones as long as possible and says parents can delay access to different devices by age.[2][3] Neither names an age for a first phone.[4][2]
What health authorities say
The AAP says research doesn't point to one perfect age when kids are ready for a smartphone.[4] It notes that smartwatches and starter smartphones don't allow access to certain apps or features, though they may cost more.[4] The Surgeon General's 2026 warning advises families to delay giving children access to tablets, smartphones, and social media as long as possible.[2]
How many families use a watch
In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey of parents of children 12 and under, 11% said their child uses a smartwatch.[5] Among parents whose child has their own smartphone, a common reason they give is to stay in contact.[5]
Where advocacy groups land
Wait Until 8th, an advocacy group, asks parents to delay a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade, and says a basic phone or smartwatch for calls and texts fits within its pledge.[6]
Privacy settings to check
Common Sense Media advises parents to carefully review each privacy setting on a smart device, paying close attention to any that are on by default.[7] Where a company offers the option of setting up a profile for a child, it advises using it, because that can limit what's collected.[7]
Watches and phones in our guides, side by side
Counts across the 9 kids' smartwatches and 4 kids' phones we compare, from each maker's own pages. A browser or parent-phone fact a maker doesn't state is counted as not stated, never as a yes or a no. Prices aren't compared here: plans, contracts and monthly device payments differ too much to line up, so each guide gives them with their conditions.
| Smartwatches | Phones | |
|---|---|---|
| No web browser, per the maker | 5 of 9 | 1 of 4 |
| A web browser only if a plan or a parent adds it, per the maker | 0 of 9 | 3 of 4 |
| Web browser not stated by the maker | 4 of 9 | 0 of 4 |
| The maker lists a camera or video calling | 5 of 9 | 4 of 4 |
| Needs a parent's iPhone, per the maker | 1 of 9 | 0 of 4 |
See each device in Smartwatches for kids, compared and Kids' phones, compared.
Sources
- [1] American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Your Child's First Phone: Are They Ready? (Health authority; checked September 2026)
- [2] U.S. Surgeon General (HHS), Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use (2026 advisory, PDF) (Government; checked September 2026)
- [3] U.S. Surgeon General (HHS), The Harms of Screen Use (Government; checked September 2026)
- [4] American Academy of Pediatrics, Appropriate Age to Introduce a Mobile Device (expert Q&A) (Health authority; checked September 2026)
- [5] Pew Research Center, How parents describe their kids' tech use (2025) (Research; checked September 2026)
- [6] Wait Until 8th, The Wait Until 8th pledge (Advocacy group; checked September 2026)
- [7] Common Sense Media, Parents' Ultimate Guide to Smart Devices (Advocacy group; checked October 2026)
We quote what each source says and don't add to it. How we verify
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