Your child needs their first phone. You want them to be reachable, but you absolutely do not want them having unrestricted access to the internet, social media, and the endless doomscroll.
Naturally, the first instinct is to buy a classic “dumb phone,” like an old-school Nokia, which restricts them to just calls and texts. However, those retro devices come with a major drawback-they lack GPS navigation. If your child gets lost, a traditional dumb phone won’t help you track them or help them find their way home.
While there are third-party apps available for both iOS and Android (like Dumb Phone or Minimalist Phone) designed to strip back smartphone features, it feels a bit ridiculous to pay a subscription fee just for the privilege of removing access to apps. Furthermore, typical iOS Screen Time safeguards notoriously have cheeky workarounds that tech-savvy kids can easily bypass to access Safari.
Fortunately, there is a completely free, built-in Apple feature hiding in plain sight that solves this exact problem.
The Secret is Assistive Access
Introduced by Apple back in 2023 primarily for users with cognitive disabilities, Assistive Access is a tool that radically simplifies the iOS experience. It strips away the clutter, leaving behind fewer options, focused features, and large, easy-to-read icons.
Most importantly for parents, it allows you to completely lock down the device. It firmly bans unexpected web browsing—even if someone tries to text your child a direct web link.
How to Set Up Assistive Access for Kids
Transforming an old, unused device (like an iPhone 13 languishing in a drawer) into a locked-down, six-app dumb phone is incredibly straightforward. Here is how to do it:
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Scroll down to the General section and select Assistive Access.
- Choose your preferred appearance (the Grid layout is recommended for large, highly visible tiles).
- Handpick the exact apps you want to allow. For a child, you might select Calls, Messages, Maps, Camera, Photos, and Music, while completely omitting Safari, Chrome, or any other browser.
- Once you are happy with the setup, you will be prompted to create a unique four-digit Assistive Access passcode. This code is strictly required to turn the simplified OS on or off, ensuring your child cannot simply revert the phone back to standard iOS.
The Best of Both Worlds
By using Assistive Access, you create the ultimate hybrid device for your child. It operates exactly like a basic dumb phone, preventing them from falling down internet rabbit holes, but it remains fully trackable via Apple’s Find My network and allows them to use GPS navigation to get home safely.
Interestingly, Apple is finally updating its standard Screen Time features to allow parents to fully remove Safari access when setting up a child’s profile natively. However, while that update is being touted as long overdue, the reality is that Assistive Access has been quietly offering a foolproof solution for years.
