How We Turned Our Son’s Smartphone Into a Dumb Phone (And How You Can Too)

How We Turned Our Son’s Smartphone Into a Dumb Phone (And How You Can Too)

This is what we did for our son, who’s in 6th grade. We keep this phone in the living room as a family phone that is used for certain things.

So, we turned the iPhone that we let him use into a dumb phone. It still calls and texts, but that’s about it.

Here’s how to do the same if your child needs a phone — but not a gateway to the entire internet.

✅ Step 1: Turn On Parental Controls

If your child has an iPhone:

• Go to Settings > Screen Time > Turn On Screen Time

• Set a passcode that your child doesn’t know

• Use Downtime to limit when the phone works

• Use App Limits to restrict usage to only essential apps

• Under Content & Privacy Restrictions, block explicit content and control app downloads

If your child has an Android:

• Use Google Family Link to control screen time, block websites and apps, and set app approval rules.

✅ Step 2: Delete or Disable Non-Essential Apps

Remove anything you wouldn’t want on a basic flip phone:

• Social media

• YouTube

• Internet browsers

• Games

• App Store access

On iPhone, you can:

• Block Safari under Screen Time > Content Restrictions > Web Content > Allowed Websites Only (then don’t allow any)

• Disable app downloads by turning off the App Store under Allowed Apps

✅ Step 3: Keep Only the Basics

Keep the phone truly functional by only allowing:

• Phone

• Messages

• Clock

• Calendar

• Notes (optional)

You can also create a folder labeled “Parents Only” for anything your child shouldn’t access.

✅ Step 4: Disable Internet Access

To prevent browsing or data-heavy apps from running:

• Disconnect the phone from all Wi-Fi networks

• On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular and toggle off access for all apps except Phone and Messages

• You can also turn on Airplane Mode and manually toggle off Wi-Fi when needed

✅ Step 5: Turn Off Notifications

Go to Settings > Notifications and turn everything off except for Phone and Messages. This reduces distractions and helps the phone serve only its intended purpose.

✅ Step 6: Simplify the Home Screen

• Move allowed apps (Phone, Messages) to the main screen

• Put any settings or extras into a folder

• Consider hiding everything else using Screen Time controls

✅ Optional: Use a “Minimal Phone” App

There are minimalist launcher apps (mostly for Android) that make the interface look and feel more like a true dumb phone — basic, calm, and distraction-free. Some popular ones include:

• Light Launcher

• BoringPhone UI

• Minimalist Phone

This setup has helped our family ease into the world of phones while still keeping boundaries in place. It’s not perfect, and of course, we’re still learning as we go — but it’s been a great solution for our son and for our peace of mind.