First phone checklist
A practical first-phone checklist for parents: readiness, rules, iPhone setup, charging, contacts, and the 30-day review—without surveillance.
Before you buy
Write the job of the phone for the first month. Take the free FirstPhone readiness check. Choose a starting Independence Level you can live with, even if friends’ phones look busier. Decide the overnight charging place. If two adults share parenting, agree on the starting line so the child is not negotiating two plans.
The conversation
Talk through why they are getting a phone, what is on at the start, and what will wait. Include what you will do as a parent when something goes wrong. FirstPhone turns those choices into family rules and an agreement you can edit, sign, and download.
The iPhone
Set up Family Sharing and a child Apple ID. Work through Screen Time, Ask to Buy, and the privacy settings that match your plan. FirstPhone’s checklist is written for iOS 18 and nearby versions and links to Apple’s own pages. FirstPhone does not change the device remotely.
The first week
Practice calling you. Practice muting a noisy thread. Confirm the charging place actually happens. Add only the contacts you already named. If a new app appears, treat it as a plan change, not a small exception.
Day 30 and day 90
Use the reviews to keep, discuss, or adjust. Maybe maps and music stay. Maybe a group chat needs a smaller list. Put the next date on the agreement. Digital independence should be earned in steps, on a schedule you choose, rather than granted all at once or held still forever.