A real iPhone — minus everything built to hook your kid.

No, and that's by design. TobiPhone uses Apple's MDM (Mobile Device Management) framework to control what's on the phone, not to surveil what your child does with it. MDM can manage which apps are installed, restrict access to the App Store and web browser, and enforce device-level settings — but it cannot read texts, view call logs, track browsing history, or monitor app usage. That's a hard limitation built into Apple's iOS architecture, not something we've chosen to leave out.

We think this is actually a strength. The goal isn't to watch your kid — it's to hand them a phone that doesn't need watching. By removing the sources of risk upfront (social media, unrestricted browsing, addictive app ecosystems), TobiPhone reduces the need for surveillance in the first place. Your child gets a phone that works for calls, texts, and the specific apps you've approved — and they get to use it with their privacy intact.

Yes. TobiPhone works with any major US carrier — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and their prepaid and MVNO partners (Mint Mobile, Cricket, Visible, etc.). Since we provide a managed iPhone, it accepts a standard SIM card or eSIM from your existing plan. In most cases, you can simply move your child's current number over to the TobiPhone without changing carriers or plans. If you need help with the transfer during setup, we'll walk you through it.

No. Apple's MDM framework has a hard architectural boundary between device management and personal data. TobiPhone can manage device-level settings — which apps are installed, what appears on the home screen, which security policies are enforced — but the protocol provides no mechanism to access the content of messages, photos, emails, or anything happening inside an app. This isn't a policy we've adopted. It's a technical limitation enforced by Apple at the operating system level, and no MDM vendor can override it.

In practice, that means iMessage conversations, FaceTime calls, photos, Google Classroom activity, and all other personal content on the device remain completely private. TobiPhone cannot view, intercept, export, or modify any of it.

Just like schools provide managed devices for students, the TobiPhone is a managed iPhone for home, work, and everywhere else. Think of your membership as a simple lease: you use it, we manage it.

We think you are going to love it. But if the TobiPhone isn't the right fit, simply send it back to us in its original condition within 14 days.

We'll refund your membership fee, no questions asked.

Screen Time can be a useful starting point, but some families find that a full smartphone still requires constant tuning, exceptions, and negotiation.

We wrote a calm parent checklist for that decision: Apple Screen Time Not Working?