First Phone Checklist Australia — 10 Questions Before You Decide

Q: What age should a child get their first phone in Australia?

There is no single right age — it depends on your child's maturity, their level of independence, and what you need the phone to do. As a general guide: ages 5–9 are well suited to a WiFi home phone for calls only; ages 10–12 may benefit from a basic mobile for independence outside the home; ages 13 and above are when a smartphone becomes genuinely useful, though research suggests delaying social media access until 16 regardless of device.

Q: Is my child ready for their first smartphone?

Key signs of readiness include: the ability to follow rules consistently without being checked; a demonstrated understanding of why the rules exist; genuine independence outside the home (walking to school, going to friends' houses); and a communication need that cannot be met by a simpler device. If your child cannot yet reliably put their homework away without being told, they are probably not ready to self-regulate smartphone use.

Q: What phone should I get my child under 10?

For children under 10, a WiFi home phone like Yaps is the most appropriate option. It allows your child to call approved contacts from home — parents, grandparents, close family, a friend — without any internet access. There is no screen to get lost in, no apps to download, and no browser to stumble into. It costs $149 AUD one-time with no ongoing plan required.

Before You Decide

THE QUESTION IS NOT "WHEN" —
IT IS "WHAT FOR"

Most parents ask "when should I get my child a phone?" The better question is: what do you need the phone to do?

If the answer is "I want my child to be able to call me from home," that requires a very different device than "I want my child to be able to text their friends on the bus." One of those needs can be met by a $149 home phone with no internet. The other requires a mobile device — and with it, a set of decisions about access, controls, and risk.

The checklist below helps you identify which category you are actually in. Work through each question honestly. Your answers will tell you more than any single recommendation can.

The Checklist

10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
BEFORE YOU BUY

1

Does my child travel independently — walking to school, catching buses, going to friends' houses alone?

If yes, some mobile communication capability may be justified. If no — your child is supervised by adults most of the time — a home phone covers the communication need without requiring a mobile device.
2

How old is my child?

Under 10: a smartphone is almost certainly premature. Ages 10–12: a basic mobile may serve genuine independence needs. Ages 13+: a smartphone becomes plausible — but consider the research before defaulting to yes.
3

Can my child follow rules consistently without being reminded?

Self-regulation on a smartphone requires executive function that is still developing in children under 12. If your child struggles to follow homework rules, bedtime rules, or screen-time rules for existing devices, smartphone self-regulation is likely to be difficult.
4

Does my child understand why internet access is risky — not just that it is restricted?

Children who understand the reasoning behind a rule are more likely to respect it. Can your child explain, in their own words, why you are concerned about unsupervised internet access? If not, the conversation needs to happen before the device arrives.
5

What do other parents in your child's year group have?

Social pressure is real and legitimate. If every child in a class has a smartphone and yours does not, that is an isolation risk worth considering. If your school community is participating in Wait Mate or a similar collective commitment, the pressure is reduced. Check with your school before assuming the worst.
6

Am I buying this because my child needs it, or because I feel guilty saying no?

Honest question. If the honest answer is the second option, you are not alone — but it is worth sitting with that. The research on smartphone harm to children is robust. Saying no to a smartphone is not deprivation. It may be protection.
7

Does my child's communication need require internet access, or just voice contact?

Most primary school children need to call a parent when they are home alone, call grandparents, or occasionally call a friend. None of those needs require internet access. A WiFi home phone, or a basic mobile for older children, covers those needs entirely.
8

Am I prepared to consistently monitor and manage the device?

Parental controls on a smartphone require ongoing management. App updates can change permissions. New apps appear. Platform features evolve. If you give your child a smartphone, you are signing up for regular engagement with how they use it. If that is not realistic for your life, a simpler device is the more honest choice.
9

Have I talked to my child's school about their approach?

Most Australian schools now have explicit policies on phone use during school hours. Some are active participants in Wait Mate or similar programs. Your school's position can be a useful data point — and coordinating with other families in your year group makes any individual commitment far easier to hold.
10

What is my exit plan when this device is no longer appropriate?

Devices given to children tend to stay with children. A WiFi home phone transitions easily — when your child genuinely needs a mobile, the phone stays home for younger siblings or family use. A smartphone handed to a 9-year-old is harder to take back at 12 when you realise it was premature. Think about the upgrade path before you start.

READY?

Results Framework

WHAT YOUR ANSWERS SUGGEST

Based on your child's age and the pattern of your answers, here is the most likely appropriate starting point.

UNDER 10

Start with a WiFi home phone.

Your child's communication needs are almost entirely home-based. A WiFi home phone gives them real contact capability — calls to parents, grandparents, family, friends — with zero internet risk. No monthly plan. One device. Simple.

AGES 10–12

Consider a dumb phone or smartwatch — plus Yaps at home.

If genuine independence outside the home is happening, a basic mobile gives portability without a full smartphone. A Yaps at home still covers the at-home communication need. Many families run both: simple mobile for out, Yaps for in.

AGES 13+

Your call — but consider the evidence first.

A smartphone becomes genuinely useful at 13+. If you go ahead, start with the most locked-down configuration available and expand permissions as trust is earned. Read the Wait Mate research. Australia's social media ban applies until 16 regardless of device.

The Solution for Under-10s

WHAT YAPS ACTUALLY DOES

If you have worked through the checklist and your child is under 10 — or if your older child's communication needs are primarily at home — Yaps is worth understanding in full.

Yaps is a WiFi home phone for children. It connects to your home WiFi and allows your child to make and receive calls to parent-approved contacts. That is the entirety of what it does.

There is no screen worth mentioning. No browser. No app store. No SIM card. No mobile data. No camera. No social media. No workarounds.

Setup takes about 10 minutes. You log into a web portal on your own phone, add the contacts you want your child to have access to, and you are done. Your child picks up the handset and calls. The approved contacts are shown on the handset. They press a button. The phone rings.

It is the same experience you had calling your grandmother as a child. That is the design intent: a phone that is unambiguously a phone, not a computer pretending to be one.

The right first phone is not the smallest smartphone available. It is the device that does exactly what your child needs — and nothing that puts them at risk.

What makes a phone safe for kids? →

Read the full age-by-age guide →

Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

What age should a child get their first phone in Australia?

It depends on what the phone needs to do. Ages 5–9: a WiFi home phone for calls only is appropriate. Ages 10–12: a basic mobile may serve genuine independence needs. Ages 13+: a smartphone becomes genuinely useful, though delaying social media access until 16 aligns with Australian law and the research.

Is my child ready for their first smartphone?

Key signs of readiness: consistent rule-following without reminders, genuine independence outside the home, understanding of why internet access requires care, and a communication need that a simpler device cannot meet. If these conditions are not all present, a simpler device is more appropriate.

What is the Wait Mate recommendation on first phones?

Wait Mate recommends delaying smartphones until at least Year 7 (age 12–13). Families who follow Wait Mate typically use WiFi home phones, basic feature phones, or kids smartwatches in the years before Year 7 to provide communication capability without full smartphone exposure.

What phone should I get my child under 10?

A WiFi home phone like Yaps is the most appropriate option for under-10s. It allows your child to call approved contacts from home without any internet access. No screen to get lost in, no apps, no browser. $149 AUD one-time with no ongoing plan required.

READY TO TRY YAPS?

10 QUESTIONS BEFORE
THE FIRST PHONE.

THE QUESTION IS NOT "WHEN" —
IT IS "WHAT FOR"

10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
BEFORE YOU BUY

Does my child travel independently — walking to school, catching buses, going to friends' houses alone?

How old is my child?

Can my child follow rules consistently without being reminded?

Does my child understand why internet access is risky — not just that it is restricted?

What do other parents in your child's year group have?

Am I buying this because my child needs it, or because I feel guilty saying no?

Does my child's communication need require internet access, or just voice contact?

Am I prepared to consistently monitor and manage the device?

Have I talked to my child's school about their approach?

What is my exit plan when this device is no longer appropriate?

WHAT YOUR ANSWERS SUGGEST

WHAT YAPS ACTUALLY DOES

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

THE RIGHT FIRST
PHONE IS A PHONE.

RELATED GUIDES

READY TO TRY YAPS?

10 QUESTIONS BEFORETHE FIRST PHONE.

THE QUESTION IS NOT "WHEN" —IT IS "WHAT FOR"

10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWERBEFORE YOU BUY

Does my child travel independently — walking to school, catching buses, going to friends' houses alone?

How old is my child?

Can my child follow rules consistently without being reminded?

Does my child understand why internet access is risky — not just that it is restricted?

What do other parents in your child's year group have?

Am I buying this because my child needs it, or because I feel guilty saying no?

Does my child's communication need require internet access, or just voice contact?

Am I prepared to consistently monitor and manage the device?

Have I talked to my child's school about their approach?

What is my exit plan when this device is no longer appropriate?

WHAT YOUR ANSWERS SUGGEST

WHAT YAPS ACTUALLY DOES

FREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS

THE RIGHT FIRSTPHONE IS A PHONE.

RELATED GUIDES

PHONE AGE GUIDE FOR AUSTRALIAN KIDS

PARENTAL CONTROLS GUIDE

WHAT MAKES A PHONE SAFE FOR KIDS?

10 QUESTIONS BEFORE
THE FIRST PHONE.

THE QUESTION IS NOT "WHEN" —
IT IS "WHAT FOR"

10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
BEFORE YOU BUY

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

THE RIGHT FIRST
PHONE IS A PHONE.