Updated November 2026

“Can I have a phone too?”

In many families, that question comes up somewhere between the ages of eight and twelve. A friend already has one, and so does an older brother or sister. Before you know it, your child doesn't want to be left behind. Of course you don't want to just say no, but you also don't want your child to get a smartphone purely because of peer pressure.

But from what age does a smartphone actually make sense? And how do you know whether your child is ready for one?

In this guide you'll read what the Dutch government advises, what to look out for before you hand over a first smartphone, which settings matter and how to help your child get used to the digital world step by step.

What age should a child get a phone?

In the Netherlands there is no legal minimum age for owning a smartphone. In June 2025 the Dutch government advised giving children their own smartphone only from group 8 (the last year of Dutch primary school), around the age of eleven or twelve.

The same guidance distinguishes between three steps:

A smartphone of their own: from the last year of primary school (around 11 to 12).
Chat apps such as WhatsApp and Signal: from secondary school.
Social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat: from age 15.

That distinction matters. Getting a smartphone doesn't automatically mean your child also needs WhatsApp, TikTok or Instagram straight away. These are separate steps, each with its own risks and responsibilities.

It's also guidance, not a rule. In the end, you know your child best and you can decide for yourself what makes sense right now.

Why not at a younger age?

These days a smartphone is much more than a phone you can make calls with. It's a device with access to almost the entire internet, thousands of apps, a camera and notifications that constantly demand attention.

For young children, that brings a number of risks.

Sleep. Children who take their phone to bed often go to sleep later. Messages, videos and games can keep them busy with their phone in the evening and at night.

Contact with strangers. Through chat apps, online games and social media, children can come into contact with people they don't know at all. Not everyone has good intentions.

Attention and focus. Many apps are designed to keep users busy for as long as possible. Even adults sometimes find it hard to put their phone down. For young children it's even harder.

Schools are also restricting smartphone use more and more. Since 2024 there has been a national agreement in the Netherlands to keep mobile phones out of lessons. That agreement has since been extended to primary schools too.

Why does your child actually want a smartphone?

Before you decide whether to give your child a smartphone, it's good to find out what exactly they want to do with it.

Often it isn't so much about the smartphone itself, but about what their friends can do with it:

Being part of the group and keeping up with what classmates are talking about.
Making plans with friends on their own.
Playing games.
Being able to stay in touch with you when they cycle to school or sports on their own.

For some of these things, a full smartphone isn't needed at all.

So ask your child: “What exactly would you like to do with a phone?” The answer can help you decide which solution fits best.

Is my child ready for a smartphone of their own?

Your child's age doesn't tell the whole story. One ten-year-old may already handle digital devices quite independently, while another twelve-year-old still finds it difficult.

Look especially at the following points. Your child is probably ready for a phone of their own if they:

Can stick to agreements, for example about homework, bedtime and coming home on time.
Can stop a game or video on their own when the agreed time is up.
Take good care of their things and know what to do if the phone gets lost.
Understand that photos and messages can be forwarded or saved.
Know not to share personal details, such as their home address, school or location, with strangers.
Come to you when something unpleasant happens online, even when they made a mistake themselves.

That last one is especially important. You want your child to feel safe enough to tell you everything. Even if they did something you might not be happy about.

If your child is afraid of losing their phone the moment they do something wrong, there's a chance they'll keep problems to themselves.

Are some of these things not working yet? That doesn't have to mean a smartphone is out of the question for now. Maybe your child just isn't ready yet for everything a phone of their own can do.

Step by step: from no phone to a smartphone of their own

You don't have to switch overnight from no phone at all to a smartphone with unlimited internet access. You can also introduce your child to digital communication gradually.

Ages 6 to 8: practising together on your device

At this age, a phone of their own usually isn't needed yet. For example, let your child use your phone or tablet to video call grandma and grandpa, send a voice message or play a game now and then.

That way they learn to use digital devices while you're nearby to help.

Ages 8 to 10: a device of their own for at home

An old smartphone without a SIM card or a Wi-Fi tablet can be a good in-between step.

You decide which apps are on it and agree on when the device may be used. In the evening it stays out of the bedroom.

Your child can, for example, keep in touch with family and a few friends you know, without immediately having access to everything an ordinary smartphone can do.

Ages 10 to 12: a smartphone of their own with clear agreements

Around the last year of primary school, many children get their first smartphone. They're becoming more independent, go out on their own more often and want to stay in touch with friends outside school hours too.

This is a good moment to make agreements together and set up the most important parental control settings.

From age 12: gradually more freedom

At secondary school the need for independence usually grows. Group chats and chat apps become more important, and your child increasingly runs into online situations on their own.

Your role as a parent then slowly changes. You no longer have to arrange everything yourself, but you stay involved and talk together about how your child deals with difficult situations.

Think of unpleasant messages, peer pressure, strangers trying to make contact or a group chat that no longer feels nice.

Also read our guide: Safe phone use: agreements with your child, by age.

What should you set up on the first smartphone?

Before you give your child their first smartphone, it's wise to set up the most important settings in advance.

That avoids discussions afterwards. It also makes it natural for your child that certain agreements and limits simply come with using the phone.

Parental controls on the phone

iPhone

Add your child to Family Sharing and set up Screen Time. With it you can, among other things:

Set a daily screen time limit.
Decide which apps may be used.
Set restrictions for websites and other content.
Require your child to ask permission before downloading apps.

Android

Use Google Family Link. With it you can:

Approve or block new apps.
Set a daily screen time limit.
See how much time your child spends on different apps.
Set a bedtime at which the device locks.

Five settings that make a big difference

Apps only with your permission. That way you stay in control of what gets installed on your child's phone.
A fixed end time. For example, agree that the phone goes off an hour before bedtime.
Age filters. Set restrictions for apps, films, websites and other content that isn't suitable for young children.
Limited location sharing. Share the location only with people you trust and stop all kinds of apps from getting access.
Turn off unnecessary notifications. Games and video apps in particular can send lots of notifications. Turning them off means your child gets distracted less easily.

Make agreements together too

Technical settings are important, but clear agreements at home are at least as valuable.

For example:

At night the phone stays out of the bedroom and is charged in a fixed spot.
During meals and homework, the phone is put away.
Before installing a new app or joining a new group chat, you talk about it first.
If something unpleasant happens online, your child can always come to you. They won't be punished straight away by losing their phone.

Write the agreements down together and go over them again after a few months. Is it going well? Then you can give a bit more freedom step by step.

And what about chatting?

For many children, staying in touch with friends is the main reason to want a smartphone. They want to send messages, share photos and join group conversations.

It's precisely with chatting that it's important to think carefully about safety. Who can send your child messages? Can just anyone get in touch? And which groups could your child end up in?

The Dutch government advises using chat apps such as WhatsApp and Signal only from secondary school.

A regular WhatsApp account has a minimum age of 13. In certain situations WhatsApp also offers parent-managed accounts for younger children.

A first chat app without all the risks: BUBLE

Does your child mainly want to stay in touch with friends and family, but does an ordinary smartphone or chat app still feel like a big step? Then a chat app made especially for children can be an in-between solution.

BUBLE is a chat app for children, built with parents as the starting point. Children can use it to talk with family and friends, while parents decide who they can talk with.

What makes BUBLE different?

Parents stay in control. You create your child's account yourself and approve every contact. Strangers can't just get in touch.
No phone number of their own needed. Your child signs in with a linking code that you create. That's why BUBLE also works on an old smartphone without a SIM card or on a Wi-Fi tablet.
Grows with your child. Young children aged 6 to 8 can start with voice messages and ready-made sentences. As they get older, they can also type, send photos, make video calls and join groups with approved contacts.
Screen time under control. You set a daily usage limit yourself.
Transparent parental supervision. You can choose to read along. Your child always sees when you do.
No ads or tracking. BUBLE has no advertising, no ad tracking and no algorithms that try to keep children online for as long as possible.

So the choice doesn't have to be a smartphone that can do everything or nothing at all.

Your child can already learn to communicate in a safe way, while you stay involved and decide when it's time for the next step.

BUBLE is available for iPhone and Android.

Frequently asked questions about the first smartphone

From what age can a child have a smartphone?

There is no legal minimum age. The Dutch government advises giving children their own smartphone from the last year of primary school, around 11 or 12. This is a guideline, not a rule.

My child is 9 and wants a smartphone. What can I do?

First try to find out why your child wants a phone. Is it mainly about staying in touch with friends and family? Then a tablet or old smartphone with a suitable chat app for children may already be enough. A smartphone of their own with access to every app can then wait a little longer.

Is a basic phone better than a smartphone with parental controls?

That depends on what your child needs.

With a basic phone without internet your child can call and text, but the possibilities are limited. A smartphone with well-configured parental controls offers more, such as chatting and video calling, but also needs more guidance.

So don't just look at age, but above all at how independent your child is and what the device will be used for.

Can a child keep their smartphone in the bedroom at night?

It's better not to. A fixed spot outside the bedroom stops your child from texting until late, watching videos or responding to notifications at night.

A phone that sits on the charger downstairs in the evening is a simple agreement that can help a lot.

Should I be able to read my child's messages?

That's up to you. With young children, keeping an eye on things is very common and often sensible too. As your child gets older, you can give more privacy.

The most important thing is that your child knows they can always come to you if something goes wrong online. If you do read messages, be open about it.

From what age can a child use social media?

The Dutch government advises social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat from age 15. The platforms themselves usually set a minimum age of 13.

Being old enough to create an account doesn't automatically mean a child is ready for the content and social pressure that come with these platforms.

Conclusion: there is no perfect age for a first smartphone

The age at which a smartphone makes sense differs from child to child. The Dutch government's advice is to wait until the last year of primary school, around 11 or 12. But at least as important is whether your child can already stick to agreements on their own, can stop using a screen by themselves and comes to you when something goes wrong online.

And you don't have to choose between a smartphone with unlimited possibilities and no digital contact at all.

Start small. Let your child practise at home with a tablet or old phone, limit contact to people you trust and make clear agreements. Set up parental controls before you hand over the device and expand the possibilities gradually.

The first smartphone isn't an end point, but the start of a learning process. Step by step, your child has to learn to find their way in a world where almost everyone is always online.

Sources: Kamerbrief Richtlijn gezond en verantwoord scherm- en sociale-mediagebruik (letter to the Dutch House of Representatives on healthy and responsible screen and social media use), 17 June 2025 (Tweede Kamer, 2025D28256); national agreements on mobile phones in the classroom (Rijksoverheid, the Dutch government); Apple Support (Screen Time and Family Sharing); Google Family Link Help; terms of use of WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Credits

Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/nl-nl/foto/telefoon-smartphone-bladeren-jongen-11286069/

Photo by Ron Lach: https://www.pexels.com/nl-nl/foto/telefoon-smartphone-meisje-jong-9785031/