Read the Internet Matters guide on choosing a mobile phone for a child.
Switch to our shared family plan to manage your plan and a child's plan on one account.
Set Up Safe: manage a child's pay monthly phone
In this article
We want children to be safe on our network. Use our Set Up Safe service to block adult content, set spending caps, and stop them adding extra charges to the bill.
How to choose a phone and plan
How to choose a phone and plan
How to set up a child's phone
How to set up a child's phone
Use our Set Up Safe service to:
You have complete control of the settings and must contact us by phone to remove them.
Our recommended settings
Our recommended settings
We've put together a package of settings we recommend for children, based on their age.
|
9 and under | 10 to 12 | 13 and over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile network access | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| High Speed internet | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Sending and receiving texts | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Sending and receiving calls | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Using data (roaming) outside the EU | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Using data (roaming) inside the EU | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Content lock | Content lock set to STRICT - blocks adult websites, including chat rooms, dating sites and unmoderated social networks | Content lock set to STRICT - blocks adult websites, including chat rooms, dating sites and unmoderated social networks | Content lock set to MODERATE - blocks adult websites, but not websites rated below PG or social-networking sites |
| Spending cap | Spending cap set to £0 - the child can't spend outside of their monthly allowance | Spending cap set to £5 - the child can charge up to £5 to their bill if they go over their allowance | Spending cap set to £5 - the child can charge up to £5 to their bill if they go over their allowance |
| International calls | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Premium-number calls or texts | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Charges to bill (paying for additional services via a phone bill) | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
| Additional data purchases | Blocked | Blocked | Blocked |
Important:
Content Lock won’t work on iOS devices with iOS 15 or later when browsing on Safari and for some app traffic when iCloud Private Relay is enabled.
Voice short codes
Voice short codes
Voice short codes are typically five or seven digits long and begin with a 6 or 8. They are used for things like TV voting, as the number to call from a mobile. Any calls to short code numbers cannot currently be blocked from mobiles and may incur charges.
Protecting privacy online
Protecting privacy online
Manage a child's device settings and turn off:
Talk to any children you care for about the consequences of posting personal information, especially photos, online.
Children should be aware that they lose control of a photo after they share it - who sees it and how it's going to be used. It's also important to talk to them about consent and sharing photos of other people.
Resources to help manage your child's online life
Resources to help manage your child's online life
Our safety settings will help minimise risks children face online.
It's still really important to talk to children about leading a healthy online life, and to guide and monitor their internet use.
Resources for families (BT Skills for Tomorrow)
BT has partnered with the best digital skills providers to help your family explore and enjoy the online world safely.
Discover free games, activities and support for children and families on Skills for Tomorrow.
Guides for parents (Internet Matters website)
Our partner, Internet Matters, has expert guides for parents. Get advice on how to teach children resilience and how to identify risks online. Read their guidance on:
Guides for children
The PhoneSmart Licence
EE believes phones should be used for good, not hate.
The PhoneSmart Licence is a course that teaches kids getting their very first phone how to stay safe and be kind online. To make sure it's engaging and educational - we've worked with child education internet experts WeAreFutures and Internet Matters.
Check out the PhoneSmart Licence >
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The BBC Own It app
We recommend trying the BBC's free Own It app.
The app is designed for children to use when they get their first phone. The app has a special keyboard, which gives children helpful tips and friendly advice as they type.
Apps to check what a child is doing online (Apple Family Sharing and Family Link from Google)
Apple Family Sharing is a shared platform for your family. You can control what a child purchases, gain awareness of how a child uses their device and limit content children have access to on their devices.
Family Link from Google helps parents set digital ground rules for their children and teens as they learn, play and explore on their devices. Parents can manage apps and content, set screen-time limits, see where they are and get teacher-recommended apps.
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