Popular US kids’ phone promoting a ‘90s-style childhood’ is launching in the UK

Tin Can’s screen-free phone is arriving in Britain as parents look for alternatives to smartphones for kids.

young girl with feet up on desk talking into a phone

Published: May 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM

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The return of the humble landline might not have been on many parents’ 2026 bingo cards, but a new device launching in the UK is tapping into a growing desire for a more ‘90s-style’ childhood, one with less scrolling and more actual talking.

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Tin Can, a screen-free phone designed especially for children, that has been popular in the US, is launching in Britain after what the company says was overwhelming demand from UK families looking for alternatives to smartphones and social media for younger kids.

boy in a rainbow jumpsuit talking on the phone and looking happy

The Wi-Fi-enabled device strips communication back to basics. There’s no screen, no texting, no apps and no social feeds, instead, children can only make voice calls to approved friends and family through a private network controlled by parents.

Why some parents are rethinking smartphones for children

The launch comes as more families question whether smartphones and social media should play such a central role in childhood.

Across the UK, concerns around screen addiction, online safety and excessive social media use among children have fuelled conversations about delaying smartphones for as long as possible.

Many parents are now actively searching for ways to recreate a more offline childhood experience, one centred around independence, imagination and real-world friendships.

Tin Can’s founders say the product was inspired by exactly that feeling.

“We’ve heard from families across the UK almost since the beginning,” said Chet Kittleson, CEO and co-founder of Tin Can.

“Some parents have even taken it upon themselves to bring Tin Can overseas and form their very own unofficial landline pods before we were ready to launch. That excitement tells us that parents everywhere are trying to navigate the same thing: wanting their kids to have independence and connection, just without handing them access to the whole internet.”

Parents everywhere are trying to navigate the same thing: wanting their kids to have independence and connection, just without handing them access to the whole internet.

Chet Kittleson, CEO and co-founder of Tin Can

Kittleson said his own childhood memories played a major role in creating the product.

“Growing up, Kittleson’s landline was his social network,” the company explained in its launch announcement.

He later founded Tin Can alongside co-founders Graeme Davies and Max Blumen so children today could experience “that same freedom and excitement of calling a friend on their own”.

What is the Tin Can phone?

tin can phone

The Tin Can phone has been designed as a middle ground between giving children a smartphone and cutting them off from communication altogether.

Features include:

Parents can also choose a subscription plan, priced at £8.99 per month or £89.99 annually, which allows children to call approved external numbers.

The device itself costs £100.

According to the company, Tin Can has already sold hundreds of thousands of devices across North America, largely through word-of-mouth recommendations from families looking for lower-tech alternatives for younger children.

The rise of the ‘low-tech childhood’ trend

Girl sitting on her bed, holding an antique landline phone to talk to her friends while taking a break from her schoolwork.. Back to the past concept.

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Tin Can’s UK arrival reflects a wider parenting shift towards more intentional technology use at home.

From parents bringing back DVD players and digital cameras to families limiting tablets and banning phones at sleepovers, many millennials are trying to recreate parts of the slower, less online childhoods they remember themselves.

For some, it is less about rejecting technology altogether and more about delaying constant internet access until children are older.

“A lot of families feel stuck between giving their kids a smartphone or giving them no way to connect at all, and we think that’s a false choice,” Kittleson said.

“There’s something really special about hearing kids actually talk to each other again. No typing, no feeds, no notifications, just two friends catching up after school.”

There’s something really special about hearing kids actually talk to each other again. No typing, no feeds, no notifications, just two friends catching up after school.

Chet Kittleson, CEO and co-founder of Tin Can

When can UK parents buy Tin Can?

Pre-orders for Tin Can are now open in the UK through the brand’s website, with devices expected to start shipping in November.

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The company says the UK is its first expansion outside North America, signalling what could be growing global demand for simpler tech designed with children, rather than algorithms, in mind.

Authors

journalist and two young kids sat on a bench in France for a review of Eurocamp

Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist

Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!

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