When should my child get their first phone?
When your child actually needs one, not when the pressure says it's time. And the first phone doesn't have to be a smartphone.
The numbers first, so you know what the pressure is made of. 87 per cent of Norwegian 9 and 10 year olds have a phone of their own, according to the Norwegian Media Authority's 2026 figures. At the same time, that share is down from 93 per cent in 2024, so more families are holding off a little longer than they used to. In other words, there's no single normal to fall behind. Just families making different calls. Three questions will get you further than any average:
- What job is the phone meant to do? Does your child walk home alone, take the bus, need to reach you after school? Then there's a real job for a phone. If the only job is “everyone else has one”, the need hasn't actually turned up yet.
- Does it have to be a smartphone? The safety part, calling and being reachable, is covered by a basic phone or a smartwatch. The Nokia 3210 does exactly that job for around 800 kroner, and the Mudita Kompakt is the same choice in a pricier, more polished package. A smartphone is a much bigger decision. It opens up the internet, apps and before long social media with age limits of their own.
- Is the system ready? The best day to set limits is the day the phone comes into use. Set up limits that live in the system with your child from day one. The how-to is in the screen time guide.
Norway's politicians have just been through the same question. A proposal to put a 13-year age limit on buying a smartphone was voted down in parliament in June 2026. Either way, the limit that counts is the one you set at home.
Know other parents wondering about kids and phones? Sharing is caring :)
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