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AIBU to be excited about a phone that’s actually built for kids’ safety?

3 replies

JustineMumsnet · 05/11/2025 11:57

Hi all,
I’m really excited to say we’ve just launched The Other Phone - a smartphone built with parents, for children’s wellbeing.

We all know the risks: screen-time addiction, doomscrolling, and the constant battle over boundaries. That’s why we launched our Rage Against the Screen campaign to push for policy change that reins in the addictive algorithms and empowers parents to act collectively. But while we wait for government 🙄, we decided to get on and do something about it ourselves.

Our research showed that parents are torn. Most say their kids need connection – to be part of the digital world – and parents also want the reassurance of being able to stay in touch. So we partnered with Nothing, the makers of the best affordable phone on the market, and SafetyMode - experts in digital safety software - to build The Other Phone.

What makes it different:

  • Parents genuinely control what apps get downloaded and when they can be used.
  • AI software (built by SafetyMode) filters harmful content, flags bullying, and helps prevent doomscrolling.
  • The phone grows with your child: start simple (calls/texts), then gradually unlock more features as you both feel ready.
Today’s TechRadar review summed it up : “Online safety never looked so cool.”

If you’re wondering about a smartphone for your child, please do take a look.
We’d love to hear what you think.

‘The safest phone for children on the market’: Nothing partners with Mumsnet on a safety-first, modified version of the CMF Phone 2 Pro

Online safety never looked so cool

https://www.techradar.com/phones/nothing-phones/this-nothing-inspired-other-phone-wants-to-save-your-child-from-doomscrolling-and-tiktok-heres-how?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 06/11/2025 08:30

Tryingtokeepgoing · 05/11/2025 15:54

The idea is a good one, but it seems to be a repackaged mid-tier mobile with an additional layer of software to provide the controls. Which is great, but I hope mumsnet has had nothing to do with the software development or security as it's track record in those areas is hardly world class😂

You’re right that we didn’t build the software ourselves. The safety tech on The Other Phone comes from SafetyMode, who are specialists in this area and have been working on AI-based content moderation and parental controls for years.

And without wanting to tempt fate, it’s maybe a little unfair to paint us as a major security risk. Despite being a very high-profile target, we haven’t had a data breach for many years and none have involved financial information or loss - our systems are protected by enterprise-grade firewalls that block attacks on a daily basis. We do take privacy and data protection seriously, both on Mumsnet and in the partners we choose to work with.

What also makes The Other Phone unique is that the safety software is built in – you don’t need to faff around downloading or configuring separate parental-control apps – and it’s genuinely flexible. It’s a phone that grows with your child: you can start with calls and texts only, then gradually unlock more features as they mature and learn to navigate the online world safely.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 06/11/2025 08:34

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 05/11/2025 16:18

Could we now have an elder phone please? One with remote access so we can sort out whatever they’ve buggered up now. 🤦‍♀️

It's a neat idea! Our partners at SafetyMode have also built this https://www.chatsie.com/ which seems to allow just that - might be worth checking out?

Chatsie — Easy-to-Use Phones for Older Adults to Stay Connected

Chatsie is an easy-to-use phone for older adults the helps them independent and connected. Built-in scam protection and UK support give families peace of mind.

https://www.chatsie.com

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/11/2025 18:20

Babyboomtastic · 07/11/2025 12:19

Just add my 8-year-old currently has a phone.
When I first gave it to her last Christmas (it was my old phone), it was so she could use an app for some technology she has, which sure couldn't access through her tablet. It has no SIM card, she cannot even open a web page on it. She has times table rockstars, and a word educational game on it. It's totally locked down.

Recently I've added a messaging app, where she can send messages to myself and her dad. But only when she's at home on our Wi-Fi (or at grandparents house on their Wi-Fi I guess). This was added for specific reasons which I won't go into here.

The setup is such as if she wants to add anyone to message, I have to approve it (but she knows it's for family only until she's a lot older). If she wants to download, I have to approve it. I can choose to use timers on it if I want.

As she gets older, I will loosen the reins on what she's allowed to do and see, and eventually add a SIM card. At that stage I will add more content screening stuff, because it will become unnecessary.

This is using an old smartphone and costs nothing. I'm not sure why I'd want to spend nearly 300 quid plus a subscription every month for something that screams "my parents got me a kiddy phone", which doesn't do anymore then I can currently do.

Sorry mumsnet. Sounds like an overpriced gimmick to me.

Edited

Thanks for feedback. Totally fair - if your locked-down old phone does everything you need, buying a new handset plus a subscription can feel like an unnecessary expense.

That said, some parents will still want the Other Phone, we believe. Only a third of parents in our survey say they are satisfied with parental controls, so there is real frustration with bolt-on apps that are fiddly and easy to bypass. The Other Phone’s safety software is integrated at the device level, so parental rules and content screening are harder to get around and updates can be managed centrally. That matters when you move from Wi-Fi-only to a SIM later, because the safeguards travel with the phone.

It also comes with a warranty, predictable updates and customer support, which matters if a handset fails or security patches stop coming. Nothing - the manufacturer - is well regarded for design and performance, which helps the phone avoid that obvious "kiddy-phone" look. As TechRadar put it "online safety never looked so cool." We're are definitely not slapping the Mumsnet logo on the handset 😆

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