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9 tablet and phone setups for kids in the AI era

AI is now built into the phone itself: Gemini replaced Google Assistant on Android phones starting in September 2026, and Apple Intelligence and Siri sit inside iPhones and iPads. That means setting up a child's device is also setting up their AI. This list covers the main platforms (iPad and iPhone Screen Time, Android Family Link, Amazon Kids on Fire tablets) and the kids' phones that leave out browsers and app stores. Watch for AI features that arrive switched on after an update, subscriptions bundled with kids' devices, and controls a child can turn off by signing out.

We picked the platforms most US families use plus four kids' phone makers, using official setup guides and product pages checked in Oct 2026. Prices are from the makers' sites in Oct 2026 and change. Checked 2026-10-24. Nobody paid to be here and nothing is an affiliate link.

  1. iPad or iPhone with Screen Time

    Apple · Free · Ages 4-17

    Set up a child account through Family Sharing, then use Screen Time for app limits, content filters, Ask to Buy and downtime. Content & Privacy Restrictions now include a section for Apple Intelligence and Siri, including the ChatGPT extension.

    1. Create a child Apple Account in Family Sharing
    2. Turn on Screen Time and set a passcode
    3. Set Content & Privacy Restrictions
    4. Under Intelligence & Siri, choose which AI features to allow
    5. Turn on Ask to Buy for new apps

    Watch for: Set a Screen Time passcode your child doesn't know.

  2. Android phone or tablet with Family Link

    Google · Free · Ages Under 13, and teens who agree

    Family Link sets app approvals, screen time, Chrome filters and SafeSearch, and it is where you switch Gemini on or off for a child. With Gemini replacing Assistant on Android, this is your main AI switch.

    1. Install Family Link on your phone
    2. Create or link your child's Google account
    3. Approve or block apps from Google Play
    4. Open Controls, then Gemini, to decide on AI
    5. Set daily limits and bedtime

    Watch for: Teens 13+ can choose to stop supervision in many countries. Keep talking.

  3. Chromebook with a supervised account

    Google · Free · Ages 6-17

    On a Chromebook, Family Link controls Chrome directly: allow all sites, try to block explicit sites, or allow only approved sites. Incognito is off for supervised accounts.

    1. Sign the Chromebook in with your child's supervised account
    2. In Family Link, open Controls, Content restrictions, Google Chrome
    3. Choose a site setting
    4. Add any blocked or allowed sites

    Watch for: On iPhone and iPad, a child can sign out of Chrome and skip these settings.

  4. Amazon Fire Kids tablet with Amazon Kids+

    Amazon · Kids+ from $7.99/mo for Prime members, $8.99 otherwise (Oct 2026) · Ages 3-12

    Kids tablets come with a case, a year of Kids+ and a walled garden of books, videos and apps. The Parent Dashboard sets time limits, approves content and shows activity, and Alexa+ features like Stories with Alexa can be added.

    1. Set up the tablet with your Amazon account
    2. Create a child profile with their birthdate
    3. Open parents.amazon.com for limits and content
    4. Set a reminder before the Kids+ renewal

    Watch for: Kids+ renews after the first year. Some AI features need Alexa+.

  5. Gabb phone or watch

    Gabb · Gabb Phone 4 about $250; plans from about $13/mo (Oct 2026) · Ages Watch 5-12; Phone 9-14

    Gabb devices ship with no web browser, no social media and no open app store, so there is no route to a chatbot unless you add one. A good first phone for a child who isn't ready for AI on their own.

    1. Pick a watch or phone for your child's age
    2. Activate it on a Gabb plan
    3. Approve contacts in the parent app
    4. Add apps from Gabb's approved list only

    Watch for: Needs a Gabb service plan and activation fee.

  6. Pinwheel phone

    Pinwheel

    A kids' smartphone with no web browser or social media by default, schedules that make it act like a basic phone at school, and the PinwheelAsk kid chatbot available with a parent view.

    1. Choose a Pinwheel phone and plan
    2. Set up the parent portal
    3. Add contacts and approved apps
    4. Set school and bedtime schedules

    Watch for: Check the monthly cost of the plan you need on Pinwheel's site.

  7. Troomi phone

    Troomi · Plans from $24.95/mo plus phone from $6.94/mo (Oct 2026)

    A kid-safe Android phone with a filtered Troomi browser, contact safelisting, screen time controls and AI that flags messages about bullying, self-harm or predators and alerts parents.

    1. Pick a phone and monthly plan
    2. Set boundaries in the parent app
    3. Add approved contacts
    4. Explain the alerts to your child

    Watch for: Scanning texts is a privacy trade-off; tell your child it's on.

  8. Bark Phone

    Bark · Plans from $29/mo plus device from $15/mo for 24 months (Oct 2026)

    An Android phone with Bark's controls built in and hard to remove. Parents set rules for apps, browsers and social media, and Bark scans texts and online activity for concerning content.

    1. Choose a Starter or Advanced plan
    2. Set app and browser rules before handing it over
    3. Decide whether AI apps are allowed
    4. Review alerts together, calmly

    Watch for: The device payment runs 24 months. Monitoring should be known to your child.

  9. A hand-me-down phone made kid-ready

    Your old phone plus Screen Time, Family Link or an app like Qustodio · Free built-in controls; third-party apps vary · Ages 8-17

    An old phone reset as a child device can work as well as a kids' phone. Wipe it, set it up with a child account, and add the platform's own controls; a paid app can add reports across devices.

    1. Back up and fully reset the phone
    2. Set it up with your child's account
    3. Turn on Screen Time or Family Link
    4. Remove or block AI apps you haven't approved

    Watch for: Old phones may stop getting security updates. Check before you hand it down.

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