7 November, 2025

Ask any parent and you’ll struggle to find one who isn’t concerned about their child’s phone use, with widespread fears around screentime, mental health, safeguarding and inappropriate content. Yet, with only 1 in 3 parents rating parental control apps as ‘very effective’, addressing phone anxiety has often felt like an impossible task.  

The team at Mumsnet has long been campaigning on children’s digital wellbeing through their Rage Against the Screen initiative, which informs parents about the dangers of smartphones and social media, while empowering them to take action to protect their children. Now, they’ve taken a very practical and useful step forwards with the launch of their safety-first smartphones, the Other Phone.   

The Other Phone is the result of a partnership with software provider SafetyMode and Nothing, the new UK based smartphone company we recently highlighted for their focus on sustainability and user wellbeing. The app management system allows parents to customise which apps appear, schedule usage windows, block notifications and manage content remotely. Meanwhile, SafetyMode’s AI filter screens and automatically blocks inappropriate content – including nudity, profanity and bullying language – in real time. 

This comes at a timely moment, as Australia expands its list of online services that will ban accounts for under 16s in December. While the ban is popular with parents, risks have been identified, such as pushing kids towards less regulated corners of the internet. For example, journalists found when viewing content without an account, algorithms shifted toward more right-wing, anti-immigration and violent content. The Other Phone, with its ability to block websites and content outright, offers a practical solution to fill some of these gaps in legislation.  

Mumsnet is setting a powerful example of how campaigning can lead to tangible solutions, modelling how organisations can use partnerships to turn concern into action. 

By Nia Vines