# 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. Three questions that matter more than any age.

By Øyvind Østmo · Published 1 Aug 2026 · Last updated 7 Aug 2026 · https://www.balansebarn.no/en/answers/when-should-my-child-get-their-first-phone

The numbers first, so you know what the pressure is made of. [87 per cent of Norwegian 9 and 10 year olds](https://www.medietilsynet.no/fakta/rapporter/barn-og-medier/2026/fanget-i-feeden-1/) 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”](/en/answers/my-child-wants-snapchat), 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](https://www.balansebarn.no/en/products/nokia-3210) does exactly that job for around 800 kroner, and the [Mudita Kompakt](https://www.balansebarn.no/en/products/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](/en/articles/screen-time-for-kids-and-teens).

Norway's politicians have just been through the same question. A proposal to put a [13-year age limit on buying a smartphone](/en/articles/13-year-smartphone-age-limit) was voted down in parliament in June 2026. Either way, the limit that counts is the one you set at home.

> Personally, I don't think the phone is what matters. What's available on it is. I also think it's healthy for kids to just be out playing without mum or dad riding along in their pocket. Childhood _can_ get “too safe”, I think. Nobody wants to raise kids wrapped in cotton wool, helmet on from their very first step. Children learn a lot from getting lost, and from collecting a few good scrapes on their own or with friends. My recommendation is a basic phone or a watch when the need shows up, and a smartphone once you're ready to [set it up together](/en/articles/guide-to-kids-and-social-media#kontekst:Every%20new%20app%20gets%20set%20up%20side%20by%20side%3A%20private%20account%2C%20messages%20from%20strangers%20off%2C%20location%20sharing%20off), somewhere around 12 or 13. I put more faith in the three questions above than in any particular age. A ten-year-old with a long walk to school is doing a different sum than a nine-year-old who wants [TikTok](https://www.balansebarn.no/en/app-guide/tiktok).

> “I know lots of your classmates have phones. You'll get one too, when it's going to do a real job for you, like letting me know when you're walking home alone. And when that day comes, we'll set it up together, so you know how everything works and what our rules are.”

## Something you can do today

Run through the three questions above. And put one question to your child while you're at it: “What do you think you need a phone for?”

## Sources

- [Medietilsynet (2026): «Fanget i feeden», barn og ungdommers bruksmønstre i sosiale medier](https://www.medietilsynet.no/fakta/rapporter/barn-og-medier/2026/fanget-i-feeden-1/) — According to the survey Barn og medier 2026, covering 1,753 children between 9 and 18, 87 per cent of 9 and 10 year olds have their own phone. That's down from 93 per cent in 2024, so more families are waiting a little longer than before.
- [Stortinget: Representantforslag om å innføre 13-årsgrense på kjøp av smarttelefon, Dokument 8:236 S (2025–2026)](https://www.stortinget.no/no/Saker-og-publikasjoner/Publikasjoner/Representantforslag/2025-2026/dok8-202526-236s)