To want the passcode to DD (13) phone

[Palacelife]

Not necessarily to look at everything just to be able to if I can a concern ever?
my DS is an adult now but I had his and rarely if ever looked as I do feel they need privacy and a phone today is a bit like a diary
However, DD is refusing to give it to me. Her DF pays the bill, so I’ve got no leverage there. I just feel it’s a safeguarding thing more than anything

Of course you have leverage- you’re her parent.
Can you discuss this with her father? If she doesn’t cooperate, she doesn’t need a smart phone

In our house, a condition of having a phone was that I could check it at any time up to the age of 14.

Yep, I have my DDs (12) code for her phone and I do check it regularly, if she changes the code without my knowledge she looses the phone.

My fingerprint is saved on dad's phone so I can access it anytime and that is a condition of her having it. Remove the phone and get proper parental controls set up on it that you have admin rights over.

DF will not cooperate he won’t even speak to me about child arrangements, makes them directly with her.
we are going through mediation in divorce and this is an issue I am raising, hopefully we will agree to use a parenting app
his parental approach is anything for an easy life
but I can’t get into a situation where I have no authority. I ask her for her code and she flounces off to dad’s, he doesn’t back me up