Help
Frequently Asked Questions
How Phonly works, what the phone can and cannot do, and how families get started.
Questions
What is Phonly?
Phonly is a school phone and a home phone, not a smartphone. It returns your child’s device to its original purpose: it’s a tool, not a toy.
Phonly was built by parents, for parents who are searching for the right way to introduce technology to their children. Whether it’s a simpler device for a first-time user, or a safer device to help protect them from distractions, anxiety, or inappropriate content, Phonly puts your concerns at the heart of the design.
Why Phonly and not another phone?
All “phones for kids” share many of the same features, but Phonly is unique in its design and approach:
(1) Phonly does not apply the hyper-granular rules, access times/limits, approvals/re-approvals, password grants for “more”, or many of the Nth-level customizations of some products. We believe that such endless complexity creates gaps that clever children can find a way to bypass, so instead Phonly uses a “less-is-more” philosophy: simple, secure, and easy to use.
(2) Phonly does not monitor your kids’ activities or communications, analyze conversations with AI, or make any other intrusions on their privacy. We believe that protecting your children should have boundaries that only parents should be allowed to set.
(3) Phonly believes that social media, “Brain Rot”, and endless consumption of content are harming children, so they will never be allowed on a Phonly device. There is also no App Store to download new apps, as Phonly is curated to offer specific options for different situations.
What happens in School Mode?
When School Mode is on, the phone is limited to call, text, contacts, calendar, and clock.
Set School Mode windows once, or enroll in a schedule managed by your child’s school. The device follows the schedule automatically, without daily reminders or mandatory logins.
What can the phone do at home?
When School Mode is off, parents choose one of three pre-defined Home profiles, specifically designed for different situations.
Utility adds camera, calculator, Google Translate, Google Maps, Google Health, Waze, and Life360* (*additional subscription required).
Enrichment adds Audible*, Kindle*, Amazon Music*, and Spotify*.
Entertainment adds Disney+*, Hulu*, Prime Video*, and Netflix*.
Can my child turn School Mode off?
No. Children cannot override or escape the schedule. There is no option to enter a password to disable it.
Parents can enroll in a school schedule from participating schools, or build their own schedule with custom windows. There is also an option for parents to override the schedule for situational needs.
What is Gen II-Alpha?
Gen II-Alpha is a separate pre-ship configuration of the same Samsung Galaxy A16, at the same price. We install Phonly Phone and Phonly Messages before the device ships.
Parents manage a Contacts list in the parent app, and only listed numbers can send or receive calls and texts. Everyone else is blocked. Emergency calling remains available at all times.
How much does Phonly cost?
$299 one-time for the Samsung Galaxy A16, plus $39 per month per device for cell service, data, MDM management, scheduling, and the parent dashboard. Cancel the monthly service anytime.
The optional Gen II-Alpha configuration is the same price. See pricing for what’s included.
What phone do we receive?
Phonly: Gen II ships on a Samsung Galaxy A16, pre-configured with enterprise MDM software and a cellular data plan. Open the box and make a call.
Phonly: Gen I (Samsung Galaxy A14) is sold out.
Where do I log in as a parent?
The parent dashboard is located at app.phonly.co. Use Login to either create an account or access your dashboard once you have completed onboarding.