Zoya Cochran is the Managing Editor for TechBuzz by AT&T and the AT&T Business Insights blog.

The 2025 holiday season was a record-breaker, with $257.8B spent online from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, representing a 6.8% increase over the previous year.&sup1; If you&rsquo;re part of this group, following the helpful holiday shopping hacks can help you cut through challenging aspects of finding the perfect gift for your family, friends, and coworkers.

Holiday shopping tips pointing you in the right direction can mean the difference between frustration and freedom from worry.

<ul>
	<li>To get the most out of in-store holiday shopping, download retailer apps for access to coupons, sale notifications, and cashback programs, and check for exclusive online sales before buying in person.</li>
	<li>If you&rsquo;re holiday shopping online, check price history, holiday gift guides, and customer reviews online before making purchases.</li>
	<li>If you favor online shopping, optimize your experience with a separate email account for special offers, spend more on one site to take advantage of free shipping, and refer to recommended product lists from retailers.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Tailored in-person and <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/online-shopping-safety-tips/">online </a><a href="https://www.att.com/blog/online-shopping-safety-tips/">shopping tips</a> will equip you with the tools you need to pull off a successful holiday season.

<h2 id="in-store-holiday-shopping-tips">In-store holiday shopping tips</h2>

The thought of going into a physical store over the holidays can be enough to stress you out, but it doesn&rsquo;t have to be. In fact, you can find some of the best deals in-store, and you can make them even better with these hacks.

<h3>Store apps</h3>

Many stores have smartphone apps that can offer some significant benefits that aren&rsquo;t widely advertised. These perks include cashback programs, coupons, and sale notifications. The catch is that, in many cases, you can only use these advantages in-store. It&rsquo;s a way to draw customers in, and if you&rsquo;re planning to do some of your shopping in person this holiday season, you should check around and see what perks the stores near you offer via their apps.

Also, look out for store loyalty programs and apps which can offer you freebies, sales and benefits just for being a customer.

<h3>Check a store&rsquo;s online prices before buying</h3>

This tip might seem a bit odd. After all, wouldn&rsquo;t a store&rsquo;s in-store and online selections be the same price? Nope. Often companies have online sales and special pricing for online shopping.

When making a major gift purchase this holiday season, check both the retail and online stores to find the best price, especially if you&rsquo;re <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/budgeting-for-the-holidays/">budgeting for the holiday season</a>. Also, if you&rsquo;re traveling for a <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/seven-steps-to-prepare-for-family-gatherings/">family gathering</a>, you may want to have your gift delivered, especially if shipping is free.

<h2 id="online-holiday-shopping-tips">Online holiday shopping tips</h2>

If you&rsquo;re shopping online, getting the item to your door may take less energy. However, finding and purchasing it can be a nightmare. There are thousands of online retailers and figuring out how to get what you want at the lowest price is a challenging prospect. Shopping with these hacks in mind will make things a lot easier and help knock some cash off those gifts.

<h3>Check price history sites</h3>

There are services available that track the prices of online items over time. By checking these price history sites, you can see when you&rsquo;re actually getting a deal and when you&rsquo;re not. Most of them also have the option for you to set up alerts for when an item hits an all-time low price, which is extremely helpful.

<h3>Make a separate email account just for holiday shopping</h3>

Many sites offer coupons, exclusive deals, and other perks for signing up to their websites or newsletters. The catch is that you then get thousands of emails you don&rsquo;t necessarily want. If you make a separate email just for holiday shopping, you can get these special offers without having to spend an hour unsubscribing to everything they send.

Having a separate email also centralizes all your receipts and shipping info. This tactic makes it easier to keep organized, especially if you&rsquo;re ordering from multiple retailers.

<h3>Spend a bit more to get free shipping</h3>

Many sites offer free shipping if your purchase is over a certain amount. Sometimes it&rsquo;s worth it to hit that amount, and sometimes it&rsquo;s not depending on the shipping costs.

Before you commit to buying, go to your cart and check out your shipping costs. Say you&rsquo;re buying an item that&rsquo;s $34, and you need $35 for free shipping. It&rsquo;s almost always going to be more cost-effective to buy a cheap thing to get over $35. Some sites will even let you search by price, so consider searching for &ldquo;items under $2,&rdquo; or whatever amount you need to qualify for free shipping.

<h2 id="holiday-gift-guides">Holiday gift guides</h2>

Online <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/holiday-gift-guide/">holiday gift guides</a> can be a good way to find <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/the-best-gifts-for-every-type-of-tech-fan/">holiday tech gifts</a> and other specialties. These guides often provide insight into what&rsquo;s trending among hobby enthusiasts and for different relationship types. Even if you don&rsquo;t find exactly which present you want, a good guide might give spark ideas for the perfect gift.

<h3>Use recommended product lists</h3>

Many online retailers have a helpful section on product pages that lists things like:

<ul>
	<li>People who bought this product bought&hellip;</li>
	<li>If you like this item, you&rsquo;ll like&hellip;</li>
</ul>

These lists can help you connect the dots to find a great gift, even if you&rsquo;re not going to buy from that particular website. Just find the product page for something you know someone likes and check out what is recommended. These features are meant to hook people who love the item on the product page. As such, they should point you in the right direction.

<h3>Pay attention to what people say</h3>

When it gets close to the holiday season, people are going to start to drop hints about what they want. Sometimes finding the best gift is as simple as listening. If someone close to you says they&rsquo;re interested in something or they need something, jot down a note on your phone.

<h2 id="holiday-shopping-faqs">Holiday shopping FAQs</h2>

When should I start holiday shopping?

Start looking for deals in early October. For tech deals, like electronics and new smartphones, keep an eye out for new device launches, which may offer great deals.

When is the peak rush for holiday shopping?

The Saturday before Christmas is the busiest day for in-store shopping.

How long before Christmas can I ship an item?

Many online retailers stop offering delivery-before-Christmas guarantees between Dec. 20 and Dec. 23. If you need to wait to make your purchase, check well in advance to know when a retailer stops shipping for Christmas. 
 
If you&rsquo;re shipping through USPS or another shipping service, check for cut off times to where you&rsquo;re shipping to.

What&rsquo;s the return policy window for most purchases?

It depends on the retailer and, for some items, on the type of purchase and whether it was purchased on sale or clearance. Clearance items often cannot be returned. 
 
The peak return period is the day after Christmas through January 2. And some retailers may require a restocking fee for certain items, so review return policies before you buy.

Get your holiday shopping done early. Check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.att.com/deals/cell-phone-deals/">wireless deals</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.att.com/deals/holiday-gift-guide/">holiday gift guide</a>, and great gifts in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.att.com/deals/black-friday/">Black Friday</a> and <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/cyber-monday/">Cyber Monday</a>&nbsp;shopping for everyone on your list.

<a href="https://www.att.com/connecttochange/">Connecting changes everything</a>, and we&rsquo;re here to help keep you connected.

-------

1Adobe for Business. &ldquo;Winter&rsquo;s here &mdash; and so are the holiday retail trends.&rdquo; Accessed September 24, 2026. https://business.adobe.com/resources/holiday-shopping-report.html.

In-person and online holiday shopping tips

Start saving for your holiday gifts early

Consider creative and cost-effective options for holiday giving

To make sure your loved ones all have the perfect gift, you might make a list and check it twice. You can do the same with your spending by budgeting for the holidays. With a thoughtful strategy in place for both the people on your list and your bank account, it&rsquo;s easier to manage your spending.&nbsp;

Consumers budgeted an average of $890 to spend on gifts and other seasonal products during the 2025 holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation.&sup1;

<ul>
	<li>Be honest with yourself about how much you normally spend during the holidays and whether that trend is reasonable for this year.</li>
	<li>Plan for what you&rsquo;ll buy and stick to it. If you snag a great deal, adjust your budget so you&rsquo;re not going over your planned spending limit.</li>
	<li>Save for the holidays throughout the year instead of trying to make all your purchases at once.</li>
	<li>Plan ahead for how much you want to spend and take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

No matter what you&rsquo;re able to set aside for holiday shopping, you can lower your stress, avoid taking on unexpected expenses, and focus on enjoying the festivities with a practical holiday budget in place.

When you create a game plan for your holiday shopping, you can check items off your list without unnecessary financial stress.

<h2>Review past holiday spending</h2>

Every budget needs a baseline. Start by determining how much you spent last year. If you feel like you spent too much last year on gifts, events, travel, or other holiday expenses, look for areas to cut back. If you&rsquo;re satisfied with your past spending, then set that as your baseline and stick to it this year.

Either way, review your past holiday spending using your bank accounts, credit cards, or budgeting apps to help guide your planning. Select last year&rsquo;s holiday season as the date range, then isolate how much you spent on holiday-related purchases. Pay attention to categories like gifts, food, decorations, travel, and entertainment.

While most financial apps can automatically categorize purchases, you may find it helpful to download an additional budgeting app to your <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/phones/">smartphone</a> if you&rsquo;re not already using one. No matter how you review your past spending, it&rsquo;s the first step in making an effective and detailed holiday spending plan.

<h2 id="make-a-detailed-holiday-shopping-plan">Make a detailed holiday shopping plan</h2>

Once you understand last year&rsquo;s expenses, it&rsquo;s time to focus on this year. As early as possible, create a plan for the holidays. The sooner you make a forward-looking budget, the sooner you can get excited about your plans without added stress about spending.

You can follow a step-by-step approach to making a holiday spending plan:

1. List and categorize all potential holiday expenses. Start by making a list of everything you might buy during the holidays.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Gifts. First, decide who you want to buy gifts for and what you may want to give them. Don&rsquo;t forget co-workers, Secret Santa, and any last-minute gifts.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Wrapping supplies. Paper, boxes, bows, labels, tape, and so on. Pro tip: Stock up early because the good paper tends to sell out fast during sales.</li>
	<li>Decorations. Do you need a new tree or ornaments? If you&rsquo;re going to jazz up your home for guests, plan ahead instead of buying decorations on the go, as those costs can really add up.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Shipping. Shipping costs have gone up. Note the cost of your preferred shipping method and plan to ship early to avoid higher shipping rates.</li>
	<li>Travel. Holiday travel often has blackout days for deals. To <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/how-to-save-money-while-traveling">save money while traveling</a>, consider all of your options and costs.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Entertainment. Include food for hosting meals and holiday parties, tickets to special holiday events, and any accessories&mdash;like a new outfit&mdash;in your budget.</li>
</ul>

2. Set yourself up for deals. Brands usually start promoting holiday deals early, especially for those <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/online-shopping-safety-tips/">shopping online</a>. Sign up for newsletters and alerts so you know what the deals will be and when they&rsquo;ll be active. If you&rsquo;re eyeing concert tickets, join the artist&rsquo;s fan club for presales and discounts. And to make sure you don&rsquo;t miss out, set a reminder on your smartphone to alert you before the sale goes live.

If you want new tech, pay special attention. Tech&mdash;smartphones, accessories, and TVs&mdash;is often one of the hottest gifts during the holidays. Pay attention to brands that are loyal to you.

3. Set spending limits. Even if you&rsquo;re scoring deals, you can easily overspend if you don&rsquo;t stick to your plan. Prioritize what&rsquo;s most important to you. With an understanding of your potential costs, you can set a &ldquo;mini-budget&rdquo; for each category.

For example, you might earmark $1,000 for gifts and another $250 for entertainment. Be optimistic yet realistic about your spending limits. Use last year&rsquo;s numbers as a guide, then tack on a little more for flexibility and inflation. Try an inflation calculator to help with the math.

Having a detailed plan helps you think more critically about each purchase and makes coordinating your finances easier.

Creating the holiday budget is the easy part. But staying within it? That&rsquo;s where the challenge begins, but you can set yourself up for holiday success in several ways.

<h2 id="spread-out-your-gift-purchasing">Spread out your gift purchasing</h2>

Waiting for <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/black-friday/">Black Friday </a>and <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/cyber-monday/">Cyber Monday</a> deals can save you a lot, but there&rsquo;s no guarantee your must-have gifts will be on sale&mdash;or even in stock. Instead, buy your gifts at different times. Spread out your non-electronic purchases throughout the year, and save big on Cyber Monday and Black Friday for electronics. Buying one or two gifts each month makes holiday expenses more manageable, especially if you&rsquo;re buying a lot of <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/the-best-gifts-for-every-type-of-tech-fan">gifts for tech fans</a>.

Being flexible with your gift shopping can also save you money. For example, if you&rsquo;re wondering <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/how-to-give-a-phone-as-a-gift-this-holiday-season">how to give a phone as a gift</a> without overspending, search for deals early. Once new smartphones are released, you might find discounts on older models and other offers.&nbsp;

If you buy gifts early, the only downside is that you have less time to save for them. That&rsquo;s why having a holiday savings plan is just as vital as having a holiday spending plan.

<h2 id="start-saving-for-your-holiday-gifts-early">Start saving for your holiday gifts early</h2>

Instead of waiting until summer or fall, why not start saving for the holidays at the beginning of the year? Setting aside a little extra cash each month can make the end of the year much easier on your wallet. And saving early doesn&rsquo;t mean spending less on your loved ones&mdash;it just means being prepared.

Because saving money is often easier said than done, start implementing a few holiday budgeting tips as soon as possible. For example, cut back on non-essentials. Whenever you&rsquo;re tempted to splurge, put that same amount into your holiday savings instead. Also, consider setting up automated transfers into your holiday savings each pay period. Even $50 per paycheck can add up quickly and set you up for financial success this season. You can also talk to a financial consultant about setting up a holiday fund that can earn interest.&nbsp;

Whichever savings advice speaks to you, start small. Save a little each month, and by the holidays, you&rsquo;ll have more wiggle room in your budget. Saving consistently can also help you stay disciplined.&nbsp;

<h2 id="consider-creative-and-cost-effective-options-for-holiday-giving">Consider creative and cost-effective options for holiday giving</h2>

If you find that your budget is tight, you can still give thoughtful gifts&mdash;it just takes a little creativity. And remember, you don&rsquo;t have to spend the same amount on everyone. While you may want to give your children the gift they&rsquo;ve been hoping for all year, consider making ornaments or baked goods for others as gifts. Did you take a trip with someone and snap some great photos with your phone? Print them out and give an inexpensive photo album as a gift.&nbsp;

There are endless ways to turn your passions into gifts you won&rsquo;t find in any <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/holiday-gift-guide/">holiday gift guide</a>. And activities like White Elephant or Secret Santa are just as fun as individual gift-giving. Plus, they let you spend less because there&rsquo;s usually a low spending limit and you only have to buy one gift for the group. And don&rsquo;t forget about regifting! What you don&rsquo;t love, someone else might.&nbsp;

By pairing these cost-effective <a href="https://www.att.com/gift-ideas/">holiday gift ideas</a> with other money-saving tips, you can meet your holiday budgeting goals. Budgeting may not be the most exciting part of the holidays, but think of it as an investment in your holiday cheer.&nbsp;

Also, existing AT&amp;T customers get the same great deals as new customers. The holidays are a great time to take advantage of tech deals and save money through <a href="https://www.att.com/features/att-app/?source=IA1G000000000000L">the AT&amp;T app</a>, our <a href="https://www.att.com/deals/">deals online</a>, or at your local <a href="https://www.att.com/stores/">AT&amp;T store</a>.

When it comes to budgeting for the holidays, plan ahead, spend wisely, and look out for holiday offers. We have great deals on smartphones, tablets, <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/accessories/browse/all">accessories</a>, and much more. A thoughtful budget means you can celebrate your favorite traditions and still enjoy the season.

<a href="https://www.att.com/connecttochange/">Connecting changes everything</a>, and we&rsquo;re here to help keep you connected.

-------

1 National Retail Federation. &ldquo;Winter Holidays Data and Trends.&rdquo; Accessed September 24, 2026. https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/winter-holidays.

Updated by Zoya Cochran on Oct 9, 2026.

Budgeting for the holidays

Why families are giving kids phones earlier than ever

Kids and phones: How to bridge the gap between your child’s digital world and your peace of mind

Smartphone vs. dedicated kids device: What’s right for your family?

What to look for in your child’s first phone or device

Ophylia is a Lead Digital Customer Growth professional at AT&T and also serves as a Device Editor for TechBuzz by AT&T.

Figuring out what age should a kid get a phone can feel like one of those parenting questions with no clear answer. That&rsquo;s because there&rsquo;s no single answer.

What matters most isn&rsquo;t a specific age. It&rsquo;s whether your child is ready, why they need a device, and how much access you want that first phone to have. For many families, the best first step isn&rsquo;t a full <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/phones/">smartphone</a>. It&rsquo;s a simpler device that helps you stay connected without opening the door to everything else.

<ul>
	<li>Most families give kids a first phone for safety and communication, not because &ldquo;everyone else has one.&rdquo;</li>
	<li>Readiness usually matters more than age when deciding if your child is ready for a phone.</li>
	<li>A dedicated device for kids can offer a middle ground between a <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/wearables/">smartwatch</a> and a smartphone.</li>
	<li>Cost matters, especially when your child&rsquo;s device is one of your main tools for staying in touch.</li>
</ul>

If you&rsquo;re trying to decide when to give your child a phone, think less about what&rsquo;s &ldquo;normal&rdquo; and more about what solves the problem in front of you.

Do you need a way to reach them after school? Do they need to contact you from practice? Are they asking because they&rsquo;re ready, or because their friends have one?

Once you answer those questions, the right device becomes easier to choose. First, it helps to start with the question most parents ask.

<h2>What age should a kid get a phone?</h2>

There&rsquo;s no single recommended age when every child should get a phone. A better answer is this: it depends on your child&rsquo;s maturity, your family&rsquo;s routine, and what you need the device to do.

That may be less satisfying than a number, but that&rsquo;s the reality. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center poll, about 57% of kids between 11 and 12 have their own phone.1 That average can be useful, but it&rsquo;s not a rule. In the same poll, parents said the top reason they get their child a phone is to stay in contact with them, at 81%.2

A 6-year-old who&rsquo;s always with an adult probably doesn&rsquo;t need a phone. An 11-year-old who walks home from school, manages activities, and follows house rules may be ready. A 9-year-old may not need a personal phone unless there&rsquo;s a specific family situation.

So, if you&rsquo;re asking, &ldquo;Is it normal for an 11-year-old to have a phone?&rdquo; or &ldquo;Is 8 too early for a phone?&rdquo; the better question is whether your child is ready to use one responsibly. That&rsquo;s why readiness matters more than age.

<h2>Does age matter more than readiness?</h2>

Usually, no. Readiness matters more.

If your child can follow household rules, keep track of important things, and understand that online choices have consequences, they may be ready for some kind of device. If they still struggle with routines or resist limits, a phone may create more stress than it solves.

A few signs of readiness include:

<ul>
	<li>Your child follows rules consistently.</li>
	<li>They can contact you if plans change.</li>
	<li>They understand basic privacy and safety rules.</li>
	<li>They can handle limits on apps, contacts, or screen time.</li>
	<li>They don&rsquo;t regularly lose important items.</li>
</ul>

That&rsquo;s why decisions about a &ldquo;kid&rsquo;s first phone&rdquo; usually work better when you focus on behavior. One child may be ready, while another may not.

You can also test this before giving your child a full smartphone. Some families start with a limited device or a shared phone, along with a clear family agreement covering who their child can contact, when the device can be used, and what happens if rules are broken.

Once you frame the decision around safety and independence, it&rsquo;s easier to see why many families are making the move earlier than they used to.

<h2>Why families are giving kids phones earlier than ever</h2>

Kids&rsquo; schedules are busier, and family logistics are more complicated. That&rsquo;s a big reason kids are getting phones earlier.

If your child moves between school, after-school care, sports, grandparents&rsquo; houses, or different households, a phone can feel less like a luxury and more like a basic tool. You may just want them to be able to call or text when plans change or to let you know they got where they were supposed to go.

That aligns with the research. A Kennesaw State University study found that parents most often give kids phones for safety, communication, and convenience.3 For many families, staying connected is the priority.

You can see that shift in the way parents talk about independence now. A child who starts walking home, staying home briefly after school, or waiting to be picked up after practice may not need a full smartphone. However, they may need a reliable way to reach you.

That&rsquo;s why the real decision often isn&rsquo;t whether your child needs a phone. It&rsquo;s what kind of phone or device makes sense first.

<h2>Kids and phones: How to bridge the gap between your child&rsquo;s digital world and your peace of mind</h2>

When parents and kids disagree about phones, they&rsquo;re usually not talking about the same thing. Your child may be thinking about games, videos, texting, and fitting in. You&rsquo;re probably thinking about safety, communication, school distractions, and internet exposure.

The best way to bridge that gap is to get clear on what you need the device to do. If your main goal is reaching your child and letting them reach you, that doesn&rsquo;t automatically mean they need a smartphone. If they also need messaging, school tools, or a camera, a more advanced device may make sense, but with limits.

This is where your rules matter as much as the device. It helps to set expectations early:

<ul>
	<li>When can the phone be used?</li>
	<li>Where does it stay at night?</li>
	<li>Who can your child contact?</li>
	<li>Can they use the internet freely?</li>
	<li>What happens if they break the rules?</li>
</ul>

Tools like parental controls, screen time limits, location alerts, and school mode can help, but they work best when they support clear family rules instead of replacing them.

It also helps to treat the first phone as a trial, not a lifetime contract. Start small, set boundaries, and revisit the setup after a month or two. If your child handles it well, you can expand access later.

<h2>Smartphone vs. dedicated kids device: What&rsquo;s right for your family?</h2>

If you&rsquo;re choosing a first phone for kids, you don&rsquo;t have to start with a full smartphone.

A smartphone gives your child a lot at once: texting, calling, apps, games, a camera, internet access, and social media potential. That may work for some older kids. But if your child is younger, or you only need basic communication and safety features, that may be more access than you want.

A dedicated kids&rsquo; device sits in the middle. These devices focus on key functions like calling, messaging, location sharing, and approved contacts. They often have fewer distractions and little or no open internet access.

While there&rsquo;s no one right choice, it&rsquo;s worthwhile to take time to check out the must-have features for your child&rsquo;s first phone or device.

<h2>What to look for in your child&rsquo;s first phone or device</h2>

When choosing a cell phone for kids, focus on what you actually need, not the longest feature list.

Many parents want the same core things:

<ul>
	<li>A fast way for your child to call or message you</li>
	<li>Location visibility</li>
	<li>Control over who can contact your child</li>
	<li>Limits on internet access</li>
	<li>Tools to manage screen time</li>
</ul>

If that sounds like your list, too, here are the features worth prioritizing in a kid&rsquo;s first phone or device:

<ul>
	<li>Calling and texting with approved contacts</li>
	<li>GPS or location sharing</li>
	<li>Parental controls</li>
	<li>Screen time limits</li>
	<li>School mode or a similar focus setting</li>
	<li>A simple setup process</li>
	<li>A durable design</li>
	<li>A predictable monthly cost</li>
</ul>

If you want more oversight after your child gets a device, a <a href="•%09https:/www.att.com/security/secure-family-app">parental controls app</a> can help manage location, screen time, and other settings.

You may also want to think beyond the device itself. If your child is spending more time without you, such as being home alone after school, <a href="•%09https:/www.att.com/blog/what-is-a-latchkey-kid">latchkey kid safety tips</a> can help you set ground rules. If your child will have online access, it&rsquo;s worth reviewing the basics of <a href="https://www.att.com/blog/a-guide-to-internet-safety-for-children/">internet safety for kids</a> from the start.

The goal isn&rsquo;t to find the flashiest phone. It&rsquo;s to choose a device your child can handle and that you can manage with confidence.

Of course, cost matters too, and for many families, it matters a lot.

<h2>How to bridge the digital gap without breaking the budget</h2>

Your child&rsquo;s first phone isn&rsquo;t just a parenting decision. It&rsquo;s a budget decision too.

Costs can add up quickly once you factor in the device, monthly service, and extra apps or safety tools. That&rsquo;s why it helps to focus on what your child needs now instead of buying for a future stage they haven&rsquo;t reached yet.

The Pew Research Center found in 2025 that lower-income parents were more likely than middle- and upper-income parents to say their child has their own smartphone. The same report found that 68% of parents said children should be at least 12 before having a smartphone of their own.4 That suggests many families may prefer to wait, but practical needs often come first.

For some households, a child&rsquo;s device isn&rsquo;t an extra convenience. It&rsquo;s one of the main ways to stay connected across work schedules, school pickups, and shared caregiving. Access to a device can be directly tied to safety and communication.

If you&rsquo;re trying to keep costs under control, a dedicated kids device may be a better starting point than a full smartphone plus extra subscriptions. Starting with a simpler tool can mean a lower monthly bill and fewer risks to manage at once.

For many families, the smartest approach is to do this in stages. Start with the least complicated option that meets your needs today. As your child gets older and shows more responsibility, you can add more freedom and features.

That&rsquo;s the clearest answer to the original question: What age should a kid get a phone? There&rsquo;s no single number that works for every family. What matters most is your child&rsquo;s readiness, your family&rsquo;s routine, your budget, and the kind of device that helps you stay connected without creating more problems than it solves.

If you&rsquo;ve decided your child is ready for a device, the next step is finding the right fit for your family&rsquo;s needs, budget, and comfort level. The <a href="https://www.att.com/wireless/amigo-family/">AT&amp;T amiGO</a>TM family of devices is a great start for a kid&rsquo;s first device. You can compare our full lineup of <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/phones/" target="_blank">phones</a> and explore AT&amp;T <a href="https://www.att.com/plans/wireless/" target="_blank">phone plans</a> to find an option that helps you stay connected on your terms.

<div>
<a href="https://www.att.com/connecttochange/">Connecting changes everything</a>. We&rsquo;re here to help keep you connected.
</div>

What age should a kid get a phone? A parent’s guide

Make your 2026 holiday shopping easier with practical tips for finding deals and gift ideas, and comparing prices for online and in stores.

Your go-to guide for making connections easier.

Your go-to guide for making connections easier.

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Now with a simplified experience, and even more powerful features to save you time. It&#39;s easier to manage your devices, track data usage, and get help.&nbsp;

Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 are the most recent standards in Wi-Fi&reg; technology. Each delivers faster speeds than...

A recent statistic reveals that 96% of U.S. adults say they use the internet.&sup1; With this high demand&hellip;

Two key factors that determine internet speed are upload speed and download speed. If you&rsquo;re getting the &ldquo;buffering&hellip;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

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