UK's First Home Phone Designed for Kids Launches from YAPA

What we want for kids, and what we had as kids

UK's first home phone designed specifically for kids hits the market to solve parents' screen time worries

The UK's first 'home phone designed for kids' has launched from children's tech brand YAPA with a mission to get kids talking again, as new research reveals that just 2% of Gen Alpha most regularly communicate with friends "on the phone", versus messaging apps, gaming, and social media*.

The WiFi-enabled phone, available to pre-order now at yapaclub.com, is designed for children aged five to 14, with an aim to encourage safe communication without the need for screen time or social media.

Using cloud telephony, contemporary tech and a small visual display, the YAPA device puts safety at the forefront of its design. The phone comes with a parental app that enables complete control over every call, both incoming and outgoing. The product is thoughtfully crafted to belong in family homes as a safe and connected communication device for primary-school aged children that's functional.

YAPA has been brought to market by co-founders and parents Rory St. Clair Gainer, Marcus Turner and Antonia Carter in collaboration with Aetha, a product design consultancy led by ex-Dyson designer Tom Parsons. The brand is backed by actress and brand ambassador Rebecca Ferguson (SILO, Dune).

Speaking at the launch, Rebecca Ferguson said: "I want my kids to have freedom: to call their friends, make plans and take a bit more responsibility for themselves. But what I really love about YAPA is the connection it creates beyond that. My kids are learning to actually pick up the phone and talk to their friends, their grandparents, cousins and extended family; people they might not otherwise speak to nearly enough. And it works both ways. Those little, everyday conversations can mean so much, whether you're eight or eighty. It's simple, it's smart, and it brings people closer. That feels really important."

Reacting to Ofcom data showing a quarter of five-seven year-olds now own a smartphone** and new data showing 78% of children messaged friends on social media more than spending time together over summer*, the launch of YAPA solves a very real parental problem - how to allow their children a taste of independence to communicate while keeping them safe and limiting their screen time. The product is built around enabling children to have real conversations, develop meaningful friendships and connections, and stay in touch with loved ones.

A SAFE WAY TO COMMUNICATE

With 93% of parents reporting their child is making less meaningful friendships than they did at their age*, YAPA is driven by a nostalgia-fueled mission to unlock the power and benefits of real conversations. YAPA is a safe way for Gen Alpha to socialise, and allows children to return to a way of communicating with one another before the launch of smartphones.

As a safe, connected and affordable device, YAPA wants to bring back racing home from school to call a friend, planning the school holidays one meet-up at a time, the homework SOS call, and proper catch-ups with grandparents.

DESIGNED TO BE DISPLAYED

YAPA has been designed to give children independence before their first smartphone. Challenging the toy-like aesthetics of other devices, the product has a distinctive visual language inspired by the familiar desk-phone silhouette with a visible cord, making its function instantly intuitive.

Drawing on early 2000s nostalgia, with elements inspired by classic Nokia cases and the aluminium iPod Nano, the phone enables customisation through interchangeable cases and handsets. The device is available in six colourways - Cloud Spark, Electric Lagoon, Flamingo Fizz, Cosmic Citrus, Deep Space and Comet Orange.

Speaking on the launch, YAPA co-founder Marcus Turner said: "UK children now spend more time on screens than in conversation and they are losing the habit of just talking to each other; those core communication skills that are so important for childhood development and long-term happiness. Having meaningful conversations enables children to share thoughts, ideas, problems and passions. For those seeking meaningful connection, YAPA gives kids the freedom to talk."

YAPA and ex-Dyson Designer, Tom Parsons added: "We built YAPA around what children actually need to communicate with family and friends, and what a parent needs to trust a device. We didn't want to make another toy, or a scaled-down smartphone, we wanted an object with real material quality, that a child is proud and happy to see on the kitchen counter and excited to tell their friends they use."

YAPA pre-sale has now launched in the UK.

ENDS

Notes to editors

Press enquiries: YAPA@knockthreetimes.co

Product and lifestyle imagery available here.

*Independent survey data from a YAPA-commissioned survey via On Air Global of 2,000 UK parents of children aged 5-11 in September 2026

**Ofcom's annual study of children's relationship with the media and online worlds, May 2026

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

RRP: £99.99 for a YAPA handset, with free calling YAPA-2-YAPA and an optional £9.99 monthly usage subscription to call other approved phones and contacts.

Multi-buy offers: Buy 2 for £190 or, Buy 3 for £270.

Pre-order available now, exclusively via YAPA: yapaclub.com

Keep up to date: @yapa.phone

HOW YAPA WORKS

The YAPA Device

• Connects over WiFi at home. There's no SIM, no cellular data and no mobile internet connection to secure. It works over VOIP technology
• A simple visual display shows caller ID, an address book and missed calls. There's no browser, no app store, no social feeds, and no games
• Calls are possible only with contacts a guardian has added and approved via the YAPA app and the contact list is closed by design
• Custom colourways and interchangeable, swappable covers let each child make their device their own

The YAPA App

• Guardians manage the approved contact list, review call activity and set the device up entirely from their own phone
• Because there's no open internet or app ecosystem on the device itself, there's nothing else for an adult to monitor or restrict. YAPA's safety model is structural, not a set of controls to configure correctly