Are you thinking of getting a kids phone for your child? Well you’re not alone, a Roy Morgan survey found that 91% of teens aged 14-17 already own a mobile phone. Even with so many teens already having their own mobile phone, there are no ‘one size fits all’ rules when it comes to good phones for kids. Here are some tips to help you decide if your child is ready for their first mobile phone.
At what age should kids get a phone?
The right age for a child to get their first phone can vary, but many parents consider providing a basic phone around 10-12 years old, and smartphones may become more common as children enter secondary school (around ages 13-18).
However, all kids are different so here are some things to think about when deciding whether to buy a mobile phone for your child.
Age-appropriate responsibility.
They consistently demonstrate responsible behaviour for their age, such as completing chores and homework.
Clear communication.
Your child can express their reasons for wanting a phone and is open to discussing phone rules.
Safety awareness.
They understand the importance of online safety, including not sharing personal information and recognising potential online risks.
Self-control
Your child can manage screen time and understands the need to balance phone use with other activities.
Accountability.
They are willing to accept responsibility for phone-related costs, such as apps or repairs.
Social and emotional maturity.
Your child demonstrates the ability to handle social interactions and emotions related to online communication.
If the phone is so you can keep in touch with your child while they’re at school, check your Set rules around when mobile can be used
Why does our child want a mobile phone?
Giving your kids their first mobile phone is a big step. You need to think about how and why your children will use it. Is it to keep in touch with them when they’re at school or visiting friends? Are they ready to manage their own social media accounts? There are many reasons, and they can vary from family to family. There are a few different types of kids’ phone and children’s phone watch that you can go with depending on the functionality your child needs.Some questions you can ask your child to understand why they want a phone and to determine if they are ready could be:
- What will you use it for?
- How much do you think you will use it?
- What are you going to do with your phone at school? What are the rules about the phone at school?
- Are there times of the day when you don’t think you should use a phone?
- How will you take care of your phone?
- What do you think should happen if you lose it?
- What would you do if someone you don't know tries to contact you on your phone or through apps.
What do you do before getting your child their first phone?
You've made the call that it's time for your child's first phone, but it's vital to set some ground rules and have a chat about being respectful online. Just remember, keeping the conversation flowing with your child is key to making sure they use that phone safely and responsibly.
Refer to our Online safety and reporting page for more information.
Set some ground rules.
Before you hand a smartphone over, set some ground rules about when it can be used. You might want to set hours when the phone can be used. Examples of these kind of rules are:- No phones at the dinner table
- No phone use after 7pm
- Phones stay in a common area overnight
- Schools policy around mobile phones first.
- Parental control and apps agreement.
Talk to your kids about being respectful online.
Before your child sets off on their digital independence, speak to them about what personal responsibilities they have when they’re online. When communicating with others online, it can be easy to forget that they’re speaking to real people. Talk them through the importance of treating others with respect, just like they would if they were speaking in person. They should also know how to identify cyber bullying and what to do if they witness it. Cyber bullying can happen in many different forms. Some examples of cyberbullying are:- Leaving others out of online games or group chats.
- Gossiping or spreading rumours about people.
- Posting about or messaging people with threatening messages.
- You can read more about cyberbullying at the eSafety Commissioner website.
Educate your kids on the cost of owning a mobile phone
If your kids are not already familiar with how a phone works, you may want to teach them about the financial costs involved. You’ll need to show them how to check how much data they’ve used (and how much they have left in the billing period). It will also be helpful to teach them helpful tricks like connecting to wifi when it’s available to save data. Games and streaming videos can use a lot of data, so being aware of data usage and how much they have to use is really important.
While your kids are online, it's important that they're also aware of their own privacy and not giving out personal information, by not giving out personal identifying information such as where they live, their school, etc. Their friends or relatives will already know this information.
How do I choose my child's first phone?
When it comes to getting your kid a phone, it really depends on their age and what they're into. For the younger ones under 13, a tough and simple Nokia flip phone can be a cool choice. It's all about calls and texts, keeping things distraction-free and budget-friendly. But when they start growing up a bit, you might think about a low-cost smartphone like an iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel. These phones open up a whole new world with apps, a camera, and staying connected.
Refer to our What’s a dumbphone blog for more information.
What are the best phone plans for kids?
When it comes to picking a phone plan for your kid, you've got a couple of options, and it's all about what works best for your family. Here are two of the more common choices:- Prepaid plan for Budget Control: With a prepaid plan, it's like having a pocket-friendly, no-surprise option. You load a specific amount of cash onto the account, and your kid uses it until it runs out.
- SIM Only plan with an Upfront Payment: Another option is going for a SIM-only plan that you pay for in advance. It's a bit like paying for the month's usage all at once.
There are also a range of parental controls available to limit what your child sees and does on the internet. View our Kids mobile plans blog for more information.
Educate your kids on the cost of owning a mobile phone.
If your kids are not already familiar with how a phone works, you may want to teach them about the financial costs involved. You’ll need to show them how to check how much data they’ve used (and how much they have left in the billing period). It will also be helpful to teach them helpful tricks like connecting to wifi when it’s available to save data. Games and streaming videos can use a lot of data, so being aware of data usage and how much they have to use is really important.View the Everyday Mobile from Woolworths Online Security page for more information.
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5G SIM Only plans.
~ Sign up to a new $40, $50, $60 Everyday Mobile from Woolworths SIM Only Plan between 9 August 2023 00:01 AEST and 30 June 2026 23:59 AEDT and link your Everyday Rewards card during the checkout process to receive 10% off plan monthly price every month as long as you stay active on the plan and have an Everyday Rewards card. Offer is available for new signups only. Everyday Mobile from Woolworths reserves the right to amend the offer at any time. Everyday Rewards Terms and Conditions apply.
> 6 month bonus data offer applies to new customers who activate a $40, $50, or $60 Everyday Mobile from Woolworths SIM Only Plan and existing Everyday Mobile from Woolworths customers who upgrade from an existing SIM Only Plan to a higher value $40, $50, or $60 SIM Only Plan between 00:01 AM AEDT on 12 November 2025 and 23:59 PM AEDT on 3 February 2026 (Offer Period). Customers who move from a Prepaid Plan to a SIM Only Plan or who move from a SIM Only Plan to a Prepaid Plan during the Offer Period are excluded from this Offer. Bonus data will be applied within 48 hours of activation for new customers and on the next bill cycle date for upgrading customers. Bonus data will cease if a customer downgrades to a lower value SIM Only Plan or moves to an ineligible plan during the Offer Period. Any unused data at the end of the billing month will rollover in the customer’s Data Bank. Everyday Mobile from Woolworths reserves the right to withdraw or amend this Offer at any time.
30 day Prepaid plans.
o $25 Starter Packs for $12.50, $30 Starter Packs for $15 and $35 Starter Packs for $17.50 available for new customers between 19 November 2025 00:01am AEDT and 13 January 2026 11:59pm AEDT. Offer only available for new Starter Pack purchases and does not include any ongoing recharges after the 30 day credit expiry. Offer is available in store at Woolworths Supermarkets or online at https://mobile.everyday.com.au/. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. Everyday Mobile from Woolworths reserves the right to amend this offer at any time.
>> Offer applies to new customers who activate a $30 or $35 Everyday Mobile from Woolworths 30 day Prepaid Plan and existing customers who upgrade from an existing Everyday Mobile from Woolworths 30 day Prepaid Plan to a higher value $30 or $35 Everyday Mobile from Woolworths 30 day Prepaid Plan between 00:01 AM AEDT 12 November 2025 and 23:59 PM AEDT 3 February 2026 (Offer Period). Bonus data will be applied within 48 hours of activation or upgrade and within 48 hours of the next five (5) consecutive recharges. A failure to recharge one of the subsequent five (5) recharges within 24 hours of the 30 day Prepaid Plan expiry will remove access to the bonus data for successive recharges. Customers who downgrade to a lower value 30 day Prepaid Plan or move to an ineligible plan during the Offer Period will also lose access to the bonus data for successive recharges. Recharges on plans other than those included as part of this Offer will forfeit any future recharge bonus data under this Offer. Customers who move from a Prepaid Plan to a SIM Only Plan or who move from a SIM Only Plan to a Prepaid Plan during the Offer Period are excluded from this Offer. Any unused data will rollover in the customer's Data Bank with the next eligible 30 day Prepaid Plan recharge. Everyday Mobile from Woolworths reserves the right to withdraw or amend this Offer at any time.
Long Expiry plans.
∞ $130 Starter Packs for $120, $250 Starter Packs for $230 and $320 Starter Packs for $280 available for new customers between 10 December 2025 00:01am AEDT and 27 Jan 2026 11:59pm AEDT. Offer only available for new Starter Pack purchases and does not apply to any ongoing recharges made to an existing Everyday Mobile from Woolworths Starter Pack after credit expiry. Offer is available in store at Woolworths Supermarkets or online at https://mobile.everyday.com.au/. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. Everyday Mobile from Woolworths reserves the right to amend this offer at any time.
General & Other.
1 Visit mobile.everyday.com.au/offers/10-off-your-shop for applicable terms and conditions, including eligibility criteria.
3 Purchase limits on International Roaming Add-ons: To ensure fair use of our services and to help prevent misuse and fraud, we may limit your ability to purchase International Roaming Add-ons. The specific limits may be adjusted as we identify new threats and trends. If you need to purchase multiple International Roaming Add-ons in your Everyday Mobile account, please contact us before your trip, and our team will be happy to assist you or suggest alternative options you can consider. Coverage: Quality and availability of international roaming services are subject to the local mobile network in the country you are visiting. This means that coverage may be limited or unavailable in certain areas, particularly in remote or regional locations.
† Everyday Mobile from Woolworths uses the Telstra Wholesale Mobile Network with a mobile coverage area that reaches more than 98.8% of the Australian population and covers more than 1.7 million square kilometres of the Australian landmass. 5G requires a 5G enabled plan and compatible device. 4G & 5G speed caps apply. Download speeds are capped. Refer to the Prepaid 30 days CIS, SIM Only CIS or Long Expiry CIS for the capped speeds for each mobile plan. This will state the maximum potential download speed. Typical speeds may often be slower and will vary due to factors such as location, device capabilities, distance from the base station, local conditions, concurrent users, hardware and software configuration and download/upload destination. Refer to the CIS for more information.
* Visit mobile.everyday.com.au/support/refer-a-friend for applicable terms and conditions for Refer a friend.
^ To maintain Data Bank, you must recharge your Prepaid service before credit expiry or keep your payments up to date on your active Postpaid service. Refer to the CIS for more information.
※ Gift up to 50% of your Included Data per recharge or usage period to another active Everyday Mobile from Woolworths plan that includes the Data Gifting feature.
⌀ Up to 5% discount on Everyday WISH Gift Cards, Woolworths Supermarket Gift Card, BIG W Store Gift Card, BWS Store Gift Card and Dan Murphy's Store Gift Card purchased via the Everyday Mobile account Portal. Discount amount depends on the type of Gift Card purchased (3% off Everyday WISH eGift Cards, 4% off Woolworths Supermarket eGift Card and 5% off BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy's eGift Cards). Discount will not be applied to the delivery fee if purchasing a physical Gift Card. This offer is available 1 November 2021 00:01am AEDT to 28 June 2026 11:59pm AEST for Everyday Mobile from Woolworths customers who have registered and can login to the Everyday Mobile from Woolworths My Account Portal or Everyday Mobile from Woolworths app. Offer valid on Gift Cards purchased via the Everyday Gifting portal only. A minimum of $5 and a maximum of $500 can be loaded onto an Gift Card upon purchase. Maximum of 5 Gift Cards per transaction. Woolworths Group Limited ABN 88 000 014 675 is the issuer of the Everyday WISH, Woolworths Supermarket, BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy's Store Gift Cards. All Gift Cards have no expiry date and are redeemable at participating stores only. For a list of participating stores and full Gift Card Terms and Conditions visit everyday.com.au/gift-cards/terms. Discount will not be applied to purchase of Gift Cards purchased directly through everyday.com.au/gift-cards.
< eSIM quick connection is available on Everyday Mobile from Woolworths Prepaid, Long Expiry and SIM Only plans. If you are transferring your number from a different provider please allow for porting time, typically 4 hours (during porting hours). For coverage information please visit Network Coverage.
§ Visit the Smartwatch eSIM Add-on page for applicable terms and conditions, including eligibility criteria.