What age for a first phone? Most US parents say at least 12

68% of parents in Pew Research Center's 2025 survey said kids should generally be at least 12 before getting a smartphone of their own.

That figure is one US data point on what age a kid should get a phone, and it measures parents' opinions, not a medical rule. Ownership climbs around the same age: roughly six in ten parents of an 11- or 12-year-old said that child had a smartphone, compared with 29% of parents of an 8- to 10-year-old. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not name an age and points parents toward readiness instead.

What US surveys say about first-phone age

The surveys point to 11 or 12 from two directions. That is when smartphone ownership jumps in Pew's data, and most parents in Pew's survey said 12 was the minimum appropriate age. Each survey asked different people a different question, though, so the numbers sit side by side and do not add up to one average age.

Pew surveyed 3,054 parents of children 12 and under from May 13 to 26, 2025. About one in four said their child had a smartphone of their own, and the report's detailed table puts the share at 23%. Parents with more than one child in that age range answered about one randomly selected child, so the figures describe children, not households.

The same 2025 survey asked what age is appropriate, and 68% of parents said at least 12. Pew asked a similar question in March 2020, before the pandemic, when 73% of parents said children should be at least 12 before having their own phone. The 2020 survey covered 3,640 parents of children 17 and under and used different wording, so the move from 73% to 68% is not a clean trend.

Common Sense Media asked kids directly. Its 2021 census surveyed 1,306 young people ages 8 to 18 between September 29 and October 25, 2021. About three in ten 8- and 9-year-olds had their own phones, about seven in ten 12- and 13-year-olds did, and about nine in ten of those 14 or older did. A chart in the same report appears to show 42% at age 10, 71% at 12, and 91% at 14, but those single-year readings come from a graph and are less certain than the grouped figures in the text.

Pew's survey of 1,391 teens ages 13 to 17, conducted September 18 to October 10, 2024, found that 95% had or had access to a smartphone. That figure includes access, not only ownership, so it does not match the ownership numbers above.

Read the "What it measured" column before comparing rows. A parent's opinion about the right age, a child's ownership, and a teen's access are three separate questions.

What the AAP says about readiness

The AAP's position is that research does not identify a safe age. As of October 2026, its parent site HealthyChildren.org says, "Studies don't point to a specific age that's safe," and asks parents to consider a child's understanding of the digital world.

That consumer page explains the AAP policy statement "Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents," published on January 20, 2026. The statement replaced the AAP's 2016 media statements, and the AAP describes its current guidance as moving beyond simple screen-time limits to focus on quality, context, and conversation. Choosing a single birthday for a first phone is the kind of fixed number the newer guidance avoids.

HealthyChildren.org also suggests looking at two traits: whether a child is truthful, and whether they can handle social conflict safely. A second AAP resource, the Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health Q&A "Getting Your First Phone," is written to young people. It says teens agreed there is no single perfect age, and it highlights responsibility at school and with chores, along with whether parents are ready to give guidance.

That last item is about the adult. A phone comes with follow-up: setting controls, answering questions about group chats, and adjusting rules when something goes wrong. A parent who expects to have that time soon is in a different spot from one who will be traveling for work all winter.

None of this changes with a child's gender. The same questions apply whether the first phone is for a son or a daughter, and the AAP sources above do not split their guidance that way.

A readiness checklist to run before you buy

A child is closer to ready when the habits a phone depends on, especially truthfulness and safe handling of conflict with friends, already show up in daily life.

• Keeps track of belongings, such as a house key, a library book, or a jacket, without daily reminders
• Follows the screen rules already in place for a tablet, TV, or game console, including when no adult is in the room
• Tells you the truth when something goes wrong, even if it costs a privilege
• Works through a falling-out with a friend without escalating it
• Can explain, in their own words, why a photo sent to one person can end up in front of many
• Keeps up with schoolwork and chores

The truthfulness and conflict items come from HealthyChildren.org, and the school and chores item reflects the AAP Q&A. The others are ordinary habits a parent can observe at home, not AAP criteria. A child who struggles with one item gives you something concrete to work on before the phone arrives.

Parents' phone habits matter too. The AAP's Family Media Plan, a free tool on HealthyChildren.org, asks families to create a plan for every member, including the parents.

A first phone usually lands in the middle of a wider set of household screen rules. The companion guide on screen time by age explains what the AAP's 2026 policy changed and how the Family Media Plan fits in.

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Smartphone, basic phone, or watch and what each opens up

The device type sets how much of the internet comes with the phone, though the details depend on the model and carrier plan. As a general guide rather than a sourced comparison, smartphones open the full web and app stores, while basic phones and kids' smartwatches usually limit or remove that access. Check the maker's listed specs for any specific device.

Keep the device type in mind when reading survey numbers. Pew's figures above are about smartphones specifically.

Whichever device you consider, HealthyChildren.org lists the kinds of controls worth setting up: limits on time, downloads, contacts, and purchases, plus turning off autoplay and notifications and checking privacy settings. Compare devices on whether they support those controls and how they are managed, using the manufacturer's own documentation.

Rules about phones during the school day vary by state and school district, so check your district's current policy before you choose a device for a child who will carry it to class.

Decide before the holiday gift season

If the phone is a gift for the holidays, settle the rules and the setup before it is wrapped. The first morning with a new phone is a hard time to negotiate bedtimes.

HealthyChildren.org's guide to making a Family Media Plan covers most of what needs deciding. It suggests screen-free zones such as the dinner table, homework time, and the time before bed, and the AAP's 2026 consumer page names bedrooms and mealtimes as screen-free spaces, especially in the hour before bed. The plan can also cover one screen at a time, autoplay and notifications, content quality, privacy, offline activities, and parental controls.

A workable order is to choose the device type first, then write the plan with your child, then set up controls before the handoff. Setting up the phone early lets you test the controls on the actual device, since menus differ by model. Writing the plan together lets the child see the rules before the excitement of the gift takes over.

The AAP also advises families to revisit and revise the plan often. A natural first checkpoint is the end of winter break, when school routines return and you can see what the first weeks actually looked like.

If the new device will also run games, the companion guide on video game hours covers the warning signs HealthyChildren.org lists and when to call a pediatrician.

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Before you shop, ask your child to write down one rule they would set for their own phone and why. Their answer is one more sign of readiness to weigh alongside the habits above.