How to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Dumb Phone for Children

You already own a smartphone, but you want your child to have the communication without the distractions.

What’s happening: Parents are discovering they can convert both Android and iPhone smartphones into something closer to a dumb phone without losing access to Camera, Maps, and other useful features whilst eliminating addictive and harmful aspects of the internet. Minimalist apps like Dumb Phone and Blank Spaces make the process friction-free and effortless for iPhones, whilst launchers like Minimalist Phone and Before Launcher completely overhaul Android devices.

Why this matters to all parents: You don’t need to buy a separate device. That old smartphone sitting in a drawer, or even the one you’re currently using, can be transformed into a basic communication tool that keeps the useful features children actually need.

The bigger picture: One parent wrote a book and had a baby in the same year, crediting their success to lobotomising their smartphone in January 2024. They can now count on one hand the number of times they’ve mindlessly scrolled in the last year. If it works for adults, it can definitely work for children.

Here’s exactly how to convert smartphones into dumb phones, which methods work best for children, and how to prevent them from reversing your settings.

What Parents Need to Know

Converting a smartphone into a dumb phone involves three main strategies: simplifying the interface, restricting internet access and limiting apps.

The basic approach (Free):

The simplest method starts with your home screen—download a third-party app that simplifies it with text-only items instead of tempting app icons. You can still search for installed apps, or hide them completely so children aren’t reminded their TikTok feed is waiting.

Create a minimalist home screen by keeping only essential apps visible and hiding the rest. Then enable greyscale mode to remove all colour from the screen, which reduces over-stimulation. After turning on greyscale, the phone feels far less interesting.

For iPhone (Free and paid options):

The Dumb Phone app lets you create a minimalist-style phone on iOS, replacing colourful app icons and notification badges with simple buttons to open essential apps. Key features include creating multiple app launchers for different contexts (leisure, work, night time), and a Detox Mode that blocks and hides non-essential apps using Screen Time capabilities.

For the most restrictive free setup: Open Settings > Screen Time > turn it on > Content and Privacy Restrictions > toggle on > Allowed Apps > toggle Safari off. This removes the browser from your phone entirely, eliminating the backdoor to social media and distracting websites.

To prevent children from reinstalling apps: Settings > Screen Time > Content and Privacy Restrictions > flip switch “on” > App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Apps > Don’t Allow. Then lock these settings with a passcode that you don’t give to your child.

For Android (Free methods):

Go to Digital Wellbeing settings and turn on Focus Mode. You can turn it on immediately or set up a schedule for daily routine. Depending on your device, you can allow apps, block apps, or create multiple focus modes.

For stricter control: Use a “default-deny” approach to block all apps except what you specifically approve. You can also completely remove the Play Store so there isn’t a convenient way to add apps, and use DNS Content Policy to block web-versions of apps How to Convert an Android Smartphone into a Dumb Phone | Tech Lockdown.

What features to keep:

The main reason people don’t switch to actual dumb phones is difficulty functioning in the modern world without Maps/GPS and the modern high-resolution smartphone camera. When converting a smartphone, keep these useful tools whilst restricting addictive features.

What Other Parents Are Doing

Families are taking different approaches based on their children’s ages and needs.

The nuclear option (Maximum restriction):

One parent’s method: Delete all problem apps (not just hide them), disable Safari entirely through Screen Time, turn on greyscale, remove all widgets, and use Screen Time to block the App Store with a passcode someone else sets and refuses to share. The result? A phone that can only make calls, send texts, take photos, and use maps.

The balanced approach (Moderate restriction):

Delete the biggest “problem apps” but access them through the internet browser when absolutely necessary. This makes checking them annoying enough to reduce autopilot usage. For children, this might mean allowing email access through the browser but not as an app.

Another option uses content filtering to limit features within apps. For example, blocking YouTube thumbnails makes the platform far less interesting without clickbait images. You can also access sites like Reddit in text-only mode by blocking images and videos.

Using apps vs manual setup:

The Dumb Phone app reached 8,000 downloads during launch week with over 1,000 daily users. The founder reports cutting phone pickups in half—when the home screen is boring, the brain can no longer latch onto anything that gives a dopamine rush.

For parents who want total control, manual setup through Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) is free and more difficult for children to circumvent.

Advanced techniques:

For Android, you can schedule when internet can be used on the device—a great use-case is completely deactivating the phone’s internet at night. You can also use Mobile Device Management with Kiosk mode for the most restrictive setup.

How This Affects Your Family

Choosing the right method for your child:

Ages 8-12: Use the most restrictive setup. Remove Safari/browser, delete all apps except Phone, Messages, Camera, Maps, Calendar, and perhaps Music. Turn on greyscale and disable all notifications except calls and texts.

Ages 13-15: Moderate approach may work better. Allow browser access but use content filtering. Keep educational apps but block app store without your password. Use Screen Time/Focus Mode to limit hours of use.

Ages 16+: Balanced approach with open communication. Block specific problematic apps, use greyscale, set time limits, but allow more autonomy with regular check-ins.

Step-by-step for iPhone:

1. Enable greyscale: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Colour Filters > turn on > select Greyscale
2. Delete distracting apps: Hold app icon > Remove App > Delete (not just “Remove from Home Screen”)
3. Disable Safari: Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps > Safari off
4. Block App Store: Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Apps > Don’t Allow
5. Set up passcode: Screen Time > Use Screen Time Passcode (create one your child doesn’t know)
6. Optional: Download Dumb Phone app for minimalist interface before disabling App Store

Step-by-step for Android:

1. Enable greyscale: Settings > Accessibility > Colour and contrast > Colour correction > turn on > Greyscale
2. Set up Focus Mode: Digital Wellbeing > Focus Mode > select apps to pause > set schedule
3. Disable Play Store: Settings > Apps > Play Store > Disable
4. Turn off data (optional): Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Network > toggle off
5. Delete distracting apps: Long press app > Uninstall
6. Optional: Download Minimalist Phone launcher before removing Play Store

What to keep vs remove:

Keep: Phone, Messages, Camera, Maps, Calendar, Music, Notes Remove: All social media, games, YouTube, web browser (optional), email app (optional) Maybe keep: Weather, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Reminders

Preventing circumvention:

The key is having someone else set the Screen Time passcode. Tell them not to give it to you (or your child) under any circumstances. Without the passcode, settings cannot be changed.

For Android, use parental control features or third-party apps like Google Family Link for additional oversight.

Testing before committing:

Try the setup on your own phone for a week first. If you can function with the limitations, your child probably can too. This also helps you understand what legitimate needs might arise.

Sources for Apple phone: Mental Floss, Tech Lockdown, She’s a Beast, Mint Mobile, Apple, whatifididnt

Sources for Android phone: Mint Mobile, Tech Lockdown

General sources: Catherine Price