New voice-only home phone lets kids call approved contacts, make plans, and stay connected with family and friends — without screens, apps, or social media distractions
AUSTIN, Texas, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pinwheel, best known for its popular mobile phones and smartwatches for kids, today launched Pinwheel Home, a screen-free, voice-only home phone designed to give kids a simple, safe way to call friends and family without the distraction of apps, texting, or social media.
With 1 in 4 children now owning a smartphone by age 8 and 78% of U.S. households being cell-phone only, a new generation is growing up distracted by FaceTime before they’ve mastered a basic phone call. At the same time, a recent federal advisory from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns that by adolescence, children may spend more time on screens than sleeping or in school, linking excessive screen use to poor sleep, diminished academic performance, anxiety and depression. Pinwheel Home – which goes on sale today in the U.S. – aims to solve these problems via a modern take on the old-school landline designed specifically for use by children 5-12.
Like a classic landline, Pinwheel Home features a retro-style handset that lives in a central location in the home or a child’s room. But unlike traditional landlines, it connects over Wi-Fi (no phone jack or cable provider required) and is fully managed by parents through Pinwheel’s Caregiver Portal, meaning parents approve all contacts and can schedule its usage. In addition, as part of the broader Pinwheel ecosystem, Pinwheel Home serves as an entry point for younger children, allowing families to transition seamlessly to a Pinwheel Watch or Pinwheel Phone over time—all managed within the same caregiver platform.
“As a dad with four young children myself, I’ve seen firsthand the way kids lack some of the verbal conversation skills our generation learned much earlier,” said Dane Witbeck, CEO and Founder of Pinwheel. “The goal was to encourage kids to independently make their own plans and chat with each other in a screen-free way, without having to borrow mom or dad’s cell phone.”
Pinwheel Home Key Features:
- Real Talk, No Screens: A voice-only experience with no texting, apps, or cameras to ensure distraction-free conversations. Pinwheel Home encourages focus, intentional communication, and deliberate “1-on-1” time.
- Parental Controls: Only phone numbers approved by parents can call in or out, blocking all unknown callers, spam, and robocalls. Parents can also set quiet hours that block all inbound and outgoing calls during specified times.
- Unified Management: Parents manage the device using the same online dashboard used for Pinwheel’s watches and smartphones, especially convenient if a family has older children with other Pinwheel devices – and for later when their child is ready to move up their own watch or Pinwheel phone along with the Pinwheel Home.
- Emergency Ready: 911 access is built into all plans for added peace of mind.
- Simple, kid-friendly features: Speed dial and voicemail make it easy for kids to reach trusted contacts and stay connected, while learning basic phone skills.
- Set up in minutes, no landline required: Connects over Wi-Fi with a simple plug-in setup—no phone jack, technician, or cable provider needed.
Pricing and Availability
Pinwheel Home offers two models – the Spark for $68, and the Classic for $79 – which includes the handset, phone adapter, and stickers to customize your phone. Calling other Pinwheel Home phones is always free (Pinwheel Circle plan). To call other phones or receive calls from outside numbers, plans start at $6.99/month for the Friends & Family plan (up to 5 external numbers) or $9.99/month for the Unlimited plan (call any number). All plans include access to emergency services (911) with approved numbers and quiet hours controls managed through the Pinwheel Caregiver Portal. Families with multiple paid Pinwheel subscriptions save 15% on their plans. In addition, bulk discount pricing is available for groups purchasing 10 or more Pinwheel Home phones. Pinwheel Home can be purchased at pinwheel.com now, and will be available on Amazon by this fall.
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About Pinwheel
Pinwheel is a kid tech company that sells digital devices and services designed specifically for children and teens – no social media or open internet browsers, with built-in parent management controls. The company’s mission is to help the next generation develop healthy, productive habits that enable them to use technology as a tool for creativity and connection rather than a distraction. Based in Austin, Pinwheel was recognized by the Inc. 5000 as one of the country’s fastest-growing private companies in 2024. For more information, visit pinwheel.com.
Media Contacts:
Dana Quinn or Aimee Grove for Pinwheel: 415-706-1906 or [email protected]
SOURCE Pinwheel
