If you’re a parent in 2025, the tension is familiar: kids want the freedom to call friends, coordinate playdates, and stay connected, but many families aren’t ready to introduce a smartphone and everything that comes with it—social media, group chats, addictive scrolling, and exposure to content designed for older audiences. That space between independence and protection has always been difficult, and very few products try to bridge it intentionally.

The Wiley Home Phone positions itself exactly in that gap. It’s a screen-free, WiFi-powered home phone designed specifically for kids and families, blending the familiarity of the landlines many adults grew up with and the modern safeguards today’s parents expect. With parental controls, enhanced 911, spam blocking, caller management, and a fully customizable online portal, it offers calling freedom without nudging kids toward a smartphone-based childhood.

The Problem Wiley Is Addressing

Kids now receive smartphones at around 11–12 years old, and the consequences are well documented:

• increased anxiety and depression
• addictive scrolling habits
• cyberbullying and unwanted contact
• exposure to age-inappropriate content
• sleep disruption
• intense social pressure as peers get their own devices

The issue isn’t technology as a whole—it’s constant, portable, algorithm-driven screens accessible at any moment during a key stage of brain development. Neural pathways are still forming, impulse control is still maturing, and social platforms are built to capture attention early.

Wiley offers an alternative: connection without the internet, social feeds, or addictive design.

What Wiley Is and How It Works

Wiley is a WiFi home phone, not a cellular device. It connects to a home network, provides a dedicated phone number, and functions like a traditional landline—enhanced with the features modern families need.

For $9.95/month (with three months free), families get:

• unlimited calling in the USA and Canada
• no contracts
• multilingual interface support
• a web portal for managing parental settings

The philosophy is simple: Kids get the freedom to call. Parents get control and safety. No one gets a smartphone before they’re ready.

Key Features That Make Wiley Practical for Families

1. A Familiar “Landline” Experience—Made Smarter

Wiley recreates the approachable simplicity of home phones while adding helpful upgrades:

• a dedicated home phone number
• national caller ID
• family-friendly speed dial
• speakerphone for group calls with relatives
• voicemail, optionally forwarded to email

The interface is intuitive enough for kids, grandparents, babysitters, and neighbors alike.

2. Modern Features That Fit Real Family Routines

Wiley includes thoughtful safeguards and conveniences such as:

• Quiet Hours, ensuring sleep schedules stay uninterrupted
• Do Not Disturb, especially useful for households with infants
• Spam and robocall blocking, stopping scams before they reach kids
• a lockable screen, preventing children from changing settings

These tools support calmer, more predictable daily communication.

3. Enhanced 911 for Real Emergencies

Safety is a central focus. Families can assign a physical address to the Wiley number so that first responders automatically know where to go when 911 is dialed—critical if a child struggles to communicate during an emergency.

Additionally: parents and a trusted neighbor can receive instant alerts when 911 is called. These safeguards offer an extra layer of protection for working parents or households with multiple children.

4. Comprehensive Parental Controls
Through the online portal, parents can tailor the device to match their family’s boundaries:

• approved-contact-only calling for incoming and outgoing calls
• call filtering for managing specific numbers
• call history and monitoring for visibility and accountability
• call blocking to exclude problem contacts
• call forwarding to a parent’s phone during work hours, vacations, or specific time windows

The controls are flexible without being overwhelming, designed to support safety rather than surveillance.

Who Wiley Is Designed For

The Wiley Home Phone suits a wide range of family situations:

Parents of preteens
Kids gain independence for coordinating rides, after-school plans, or calling friends—without entering smartphone culture prematurely.

Families with busy or mismatched schedules
Children can contact caregivers even when parents are tied up in meetings, commuting, or handling errands.

Homes that no longer have landlines
Wiley brings back the convenience of a home phone without outdated hardware or telecom pricing.

Blended families and multi-caregiver environments
Wiley becomes a neutral, shared communication point.

Kids who need connection but not internet access
They stay reachable without exposure to apps, messaging threads, or social algorithms.

Kickstarter Options: Wiley Buddy & Wiley Home Phone

Wiley launches with two devices:

1. Wiley Buddy Home Phone (Ships February 2026)

• A screen-free option with full calling functionality.
• Caller ID can be viewed through a parent’s smartphone if needed.
• ships earlier
• available in Black or White
• offered as an add-on during pledge selection

2. Wiley Home Phone (Ships October 2026)

• A full-color version with expanded features.
• currently available in Blue
• additional colors may unlock during the campaign

Final Thoughts

Wiley doesn’t try to reinvent communication or introduce another “smart” gadget into the home. Instead, it provides something families have been quietly needing: a simple, intentional way for kids to call the people who matter—without the risks and pressures of early smartphone adoption.

It offers independence without exposure, connection without distraction, and communication without algorithm-driven design. In a landscape where more technology isn’t always better, the Wiley Home Phone focuses on better technology—tools that support childhood instead of accelerating it.

Madhurima Nag is the Head of Content at Gadget Flow. She side-hustles as a parenting and STEM influencer and loves to voice her opinion on product marketing, innovation and gadgets (of course!) in general.