Landline-style phones are staging an unexpected revival in the United States, but this time, they are being marketed to children. Modern parents are increasingly choosing new Wi-Fi-enabled, screen-free devices to keep the younger generation away from smartphone screens and the risks that come with them.
A phone without apps, texts or social media
Devices like the Tin Can, a screen-free phone that plugs into the wall, are at the centre of the growing trend. It has no apps, browser, texting or social media. Instead, it offers a far simpler setup: buttons, a cord, and the ability to call parent-approved numbers.
Kids can dial other Tin Cans for free, while an optional $10 monthly plan allows calls to regular phone numbers. The device itself costs about $100.
The Tin Can has been in high demand since its official launch in April 2025. According to a report by Rose Gordon Sala for Forbes Vetted, the phones are “perpetually sold out”, with limited batches quickly selling out. Co-founder and CEO Chet Kittleson said the company has sold hundreds of thousands of units across all 50 US states and Canada.
“The biggest blocker to our growth has been our inability to keep up with demand,” Kittleson told Forbes.
The company has also opened preorders in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Parents cite two main motivations for buying such devices: reducing screen time and making it easier for children to independently manage their social lives.
Reagan Maher, a tech worker and mother of three in Livermore, California, bought a Tin Can after a neighbour introduced her to it. She and other parents in her area were “tired of arranging playdates and managing our kids’ social lives”.
“We want them to be able to be connected. But none of us want our kids to have cell phones anytime soon,” Maher noted. “ Mostly, everybody wants to try to wait until high school for that.”
Safety concerns behind the switch
Safety is another major concern. Maher, who has a background in national security and whose husband works in law enforcement, said the family has had a “firsthand view into how bad actors can exploit children online”.
Other devices have also entered the market alongside the Tin Can.
Ooma’s MyPhone, which launched in May and is sold at Costco, Walmart and Amazon, has become the company’s second-best-selling residential product, accounting for roughly 10% of residential sales. Pinwheel has also begun shipping its own landline-style Home Phone for children.
Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, owns a Tin Can for her 11-year-old and calls herself “a huge fan”.
“I think it’s important to help kids learn from a young age how to have conversations because nothing bad is going to happen on that landline telephone,” she told Forbes. “All the bad guys are hanging out on Snapchat and Instagram.”
A modern twist on the old landline
Traditional home landlines have largely disappeared, with usage falling from more than 90% of American adults in 2004 to about 20% by 2024.
But these new versions are filling a different need. For many families, the appeal is a return to slower, more independent childhoods, where children can stay connected without constant access to screens, social media, and the wider internet.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)