Make your teen's phone a family friendship (without invading their privacy)

Whether you are a parent or a teenager, the online life and use of tech are full of barriers to navigating, and often feel that there are little tech companies of the world are not doing much to help ease the angle.

Most tech young people used – from Smartphones On social media – has never been designed with them specifically in mind. The Finnish phone manufacturer HMD puts to change that, and here in Barcelona at MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2025 introduced the new family portfolio to its Fusion X1a phone designed to children and for children.

The Phone is designed in collaboration with Xplra, a company that is known best for children's smartwatches. The two companies have created a phone that allows teenagers to request permission from their parents to download apps from the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, their parents can control their access to all apps and features through an accompanying app, while setting and monitoring the time and location of the screen.

Read more: MWC 2025: All phones, wearing, robots and AI live from Barcelona

Because most phones with parental controls either rely on an app that can be deleted or bypassed, or an operating system owner that does not provide children with access to the same apps their friends use, Fusion X1 combines app-based controls baked deep into its version of Android OS. It creates a locked safe space where children can still have limited access to Snapchat, WhatsApp and Tiktok-if their parents agree.

The flexibility provided by Fusion X1 is to create options for families who know their children need access to technology, but may want to do that at their own speed and according to their own policies. “The idea is to provide a device which is one step stone,” the global HMD product head Adam Ferguson tells CNET. “Eventually a parent can control this management on the device itself, so it's part of a gradual growth.”

This is an idea that makes the waves and gets the attention of many people, at least the actress and host of the show Drew Barrymore, who spoke at HMD's event at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. “What's right for me may not be right for you,” Barrymore said of the parents of his two daughters, who, at 11 and 13, are currently without smartphones.

Barrymore talked about his own experience of growing up without boundaries and protection from many dangers in the world, but also understanding that teenagers do not appreciate what to do. He said HMD was a company that he felt to understand what it meant to help parents navigate the introduction of young people to technology. “It's very personal for me,” he said. “It's a very emotional journey.”

Fusion X1 will be available in May for £ 229 (about $ 290 to convert) but you can be inpreorder now.

Better phone for children

HMD has announced it Better phone project Last day and, after interviewing with 25,000 young people and parents, it was found that both adults and children wanted some limits and boundaries around the use of the phone and did not think their parents were monitoring their location. It came as a surprise to the company – and to me. As a teenager noughties, I would like to use on the Internet for talking to boys from school over MSN Messenger, and I certainly don't want my parents to look over my shoulder.

But 52% of HMD children have spoken to say that at some point they were approached by a stranger online, proving that the danger to young people on the Internet was powerful – and they knew it. “We are on a mission to help deliver a safer environment, knowing that there is no silver bullet, but there are certain things we can try to do better,” said James Robinson, HMD's Americas SVP.

Through its research, HMD also understands that there are three phases that children are moving when they start using technology, Robinson said. First comes the initial connection, where they may be between 8 and 12 and start developing healthy habits. Next up about 13 to 16-year-olds starting to use more featured phones, but may not be prepared for unfinished access to all Internet offers. Then there are old youths who are likely to move toward a more adult experience.

Due to the flexibility of parental controls, Fusion X1 can be an appropriate phone for any of the age groups. “It's a device that grows with the kid,” Robinson said.

It is likely that teenagers and parents everywhere will have a unique combination of concerns that may cover factors such as screen time, pornography, oppression and safety. It is for families to know how children come in and occupy the digital world, and a phone like Fusion X1 can help them do that on their own terms.