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BEST FIRST PHONE FOR A 5 YEAR OLD

The best phone for a 5 year old in Australia is a simple home phone — not a smartphone. At this age the only communication need is being able to call a parent. A WiFi home phone with one or two approved contacts is the safest option, requires no data plan, and gives parents complete control.

Updated April 2026 Australian Options Research-Backed No Sponsored Rankings

The Honest Answer First

FIVE IS TOO YOUNG FOR A MOBILE PHONE. FULL STOP.

If you searched "best phone for 5 year old Australia," you are probably in one of two situations. Either your child has been asking for a phone because an older sibling has one, or you are genuinely trying to solve a communication problem — how do they call you or grandma when they need to?

Both are completely understandable. The answer to the first situation is simple: no mobile phone is appropriate for a 5 year old, and any article that suggests otherwise is selling you something. The peer pressure argument does not apply at age 5. Hold the line.

The answer to the second situation is more interesting — and actually useful. There is a device built specifically for this. It solves the calling problem completely, with zero of the risks of a mobile phone. And it is the reason this page exists.

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What a 5 Year Old Actually Needs

GRANDMA ON SPEED DIAL. NOTHING ELSE.

When you strip away the marketing and think clearly about what a 5 year old actually needs from a communication device, the list is short:

Core Need

ABILITY TO CALL MUM OR DAD

When you are in another room. When you are late picking up. When they just want to tell you something. The ability to make one button press and hear a familiar voice is the entire value proposition for this age group.

Secondary Need

ABILITY TO CALL GRANDPARENTS

A 5 year old calling grandma after kindy. Telling grandpa about the frog they found. These conversations build relationships that matter — and they do not require the internet to happen.

What a 5 year old absolutely does not need: internet access, a screen, an app store, messaging apps, YouTube, or any device that connects to the wider world. The Australian Government's social media ban for under-16s is a downstream response to a generation of decisions made at exactly this age. The earlier you establish habits around screens and phones, the easier every decision that follows becomes.

Your Options, Ranked

WHAT IS ACTUALLY APPROPRIATE AT AGE 5

One clear winner. Everything else is either too much or the wrong tool for the job.

  1. 1

    WiFi Home Phone — The Only Appropriate Option

    No screen, no internet, no SIM. Calls over home WiFi to parent-approved contacts only. Simple enough for a 5 year old to use without any instruction. Solves the calling problem with zero digital risk.

  2. 2

    GPS Smartwatch — If Location Is the Primary Concern

    Wrist-worn GPS tracker with calling. Useful if your child goes to school independently or you need to know their location. Has a screen, which is the main downside for this age group. Requires a monthly subscription.

  3. 3

    Basic Kids Walkie-Talkie — For Around the Home

    Not a phone, but worth mentioning. Short-range walkie-talkies are beloved by this age group and cover the "I'm in the backyard, call me for dinner" scenario. No internet, no data, no risk.

  4. 4

    Any Mobile Phone — Not Appropriate

    Dumb phones, basic mobiles, managed smartphones — all designed for older children or adults. The use cases that require outside-home connectivity simply do not exist for a 5 year old. This is not a close call.

“The earlier you establish screen habits, the easier every parenting decision that follows becomes.”
Yaps Team — Based on Australian eSafety Research
YAPS

The Right Tool

WHY YAPS WORKS FOR THIS AGE

Best for Age 5

YAPS — WIFI HOME PHONE

What it does: Calls over your home WiFi to a parent-managed contact list. Pick up the handset, press a button for mum, press a button for grandma. That is it.

Why it works at 5: No screen means no YouTube rabbit holes. No internet means no accidental discovery of inappropriate content. No SIM means no monthly phone bill. And the retro handset design — a physical thing they hold and put to their ear — builds the habit of real voice conversation before they are old enough to think texting is the only option.

The grandparent connection: This is genuinely underrated. A 5 year old with easy access to grandparents — a one-button press away — builds a relationship that benefits everyone. Grandparents who live far away get consistent contact. Your child learns that a phone is for talking to people you love, not scrolling through content made by strangers.

Price: $149 AUD one-time. No subscription. No SIM plan. No hidden costs.

If Location Matters

GPS SMARTWATCH (SPACETALK OR SIMILAR)

Pros: Real-time GPS tracking. Calling from the wrist. School mode. Good for parents who need to know exactly where their child is during the school day or after-school activities.

Cons: Has a screen. Ongoing monthly subscription ($10-$20/month). Kids this age lose wearables regularly. Not necessary if your child is always in supervised environments.

Best for: Parents with specific location anxiety, or children who attend activities where supervision is split across multiple adults.

AVOID

What to Avoid

ANY MOBILE PHONE AT AGE 5 — INCLUDING "KIDS" MOBILES

There are products marketed as "kids phones" that are essentially basic mobile phones with simplified interfaces. Some are targeted at as young as 4 or 5. They require a SIM, they connect to the mobile network, and they often have some level of internet capability built in.

The problem is not just the internet risk. It is the normalisation of mobile phone ownership at an age when children are forming foundational habits about technology. A 5 year old who has a mobile phone — even a basic one — grows up expecting increasing access. The pressure to upgrade, to get what their friends have, begins earlier and escalates faster.

The Australian eSafety Commissioner's own research recommends against any internet-connected device for children under 8. For ages 5 and under, the advice is even clearer: supervised shared device use only, no personal device ownership.

A WiFi home phone sits outside this concern entirely. It is not a personal internet device. It is a communication tool — the same category as a house phone. And that is exactly what a 5 year old needs.

Not Appropriate at Age 5

MOBILE PHONES (ANY KIND)

Dumb phones, kids mobiles, managed smartphones — all require a SIM, introduce mobile connectivity, and normalise personal device ownership at an age when the research is clear that this accelerates digital risk. The use cases that genuinely require a mobile phone do not exist for a 5 year old.

The Bigger Picture

THE PHONE ROUTINE STARTS NOW

One of the most underappreciated arguments for a WiFi home phone at age 5 is what it teaches. Children who grow up using a physical handset to make real voice calls — picking it up, dialling, having a conversation, hanging up — develop a fundamentally different relationship with communication technology than children who grow up swiping through apps.

They learn that a phone is for talking to people. They learn patience — sometimes the phone rings and nobody answers, and that is fine. They learn to hold a conversation without visual distraction. They learn that staying in touch with grandparents is normal and expected, not something that requires a special event.

These are habits worth building at 5. They are much harder to retrofit at 15.

Australia's social media ban for under-16s, the Wait Mate movement, Jonathan Haidt's research — these are all downstream responses to a generation of decisions made when children were very young. The parents who are asking the right questions at age 5 are the ones who will have the most options at age 12.

READY TO TRY YAPS?

The first WiFi home phone built for Australian families.

Join the Waitlist

Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No mobile phone is appropriate for a 5 year old. A child this age does not need a SIM, internet access, or a screen device. If they need to make calls — to mum, dad, or grandma — a WiFi home phone like Yaps is the only genuinely appropriate option. It gives them the ability to call without any of the risks a mobile phone carries.
A WiFi home phone is ideal. It sits on the kitchen bench or in their room and lets them call approved contacts — grandma, dad at work, a family friend — over your home WiFi. No screen, no internet, no SIM. It is exactly what a house phone used to be, updated for modern homes that no longer have a landline.
Smartwatches designed for young children — like Spacetalk or similar GPS watches — are a reasonable option for parents whose primary concern is location tracking. They do have a screen, which is the main downside for this age group. They also require a monthly subscription. For home calling only, a WiFi phone like Yaps is simpler and cheaper.
Most child development experts and Australian parenting researchers suggest delaying any mobile phone until at least age 10-12, and smartphones until age 14 or later. The Wait Mate movement encourages parents to hold the line together as a community. A WiFi home phone can meet any genuine communication need for children aged 5-9 without introducing the risks of mobile connectivity.
Yes. Yaps is designed to be simple enough for young children to use without instruction. It is a retro handset — pick it up, press a button for mum, press a button for dad, press a button for grandma. There is no screen, no app to open, no password to remember. Most 5 year olds can use it within minutes.

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YAPS

THE FIRST PHONE
THEY WILL ACTUALLY USE.

No screen. No internet. No app store. Just voice calls to people you trust — over your home WiFi.

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