# StarterPhone — Lock a phone to calls & texts

> Lock a phone to calls & texts (iPhone/iPad app by Vikram Joshi.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starterphone/id6785151229 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Vikram Joshi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875452225)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, European Spanish
- Released: 2026-06-29
- Data updated: 2026-07-31
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starterphone/id6785151229/reviews.md

## What is StarterPhone?

Turn the iPhone your child already has into a simple starter phone: calling and texting, without the apps, social media, and browsing they are not ready for. No new device, no extra phone plan, no Apple ID for your kid.

HOW IT WORKS
- Set it up right on your child's phone in a few minutes.
- Choose which apps stay allowed. Everything else is shielded.
- Phone and Messages keep working so they can always reach you.
- Protect it with a parent passcode so it cannot be switched off.

BUILT TO BE HONEST
- It tells you the moment protection ever stops, instead of failing silently.
- Nothing leaves the device. No account. No tracking. No ads.
- A guided walkthrough helps you turn on Apple's built-in Assistive Access for an even simpler home screen, if you want it.

FREE FOREVER
- The starter-phone lock, the parent passcode, and the status alerts are free.

PRO
- Scheduled modes like School and Bedtime, approved-contacts-only, an activity log, and multiple children.

StarterPhone is a parental wellbeing tool. It limits apps using Apple's Screen Time technology; it does not collect or transmit your child's data. A determined teenager with the device can still factory-reset it, so StarterPhone is commitment help, not a guarantee.

Privacy Policy: https://starterphone.vercel.app/privacy
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Pro is an auto-renewable subscription (a one-time lifetime option is also available). Your subscription renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual | $39.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |



## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 1.2.1 — 2026-07-29

This update focuses on reliability and trust:
- Apps you allow (including Journal and other single-app categories) now stay usable when Starter Phone Mode is on.
- If iOS interrupts protection, StarterPhone now restores the lock automatically when you open the app, and the status banner is clearer.
- Parent controls (schedules, breaks, and app limits) are now kept behind your parent passcode.
- The parent passcode is stored more securely, plus many smaller fixes.

### 1.2 — 2026-07-20

This update improves the reliability of purchases and Restore Purchases, and includes general bug fixes.

### 1.1 — 2026-07-02

New in 1.1:
- Try the full Pro tier free for 7 days, with no payment up front.
- Unlimited custom schedules (School, Bedtime, Homework, or your own), each with its own allowed apps.
- Timed breaks: grant a few minutes of specific apps, and the phone re-locks on its own.
- Daily time limits: set a per-app daily budget that shields the app once it is reached.
The calls-and-texts lock, allowed apps, and parent passcode are always free.

### 1.0 — 2026-06-29

No release notes.

## More apps by Vikram Joshi

- [Vox Vin](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vox-vin/id6758871938)
- [Sommelier's Window](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sommeliers-window/id6759473813)
- [Soravi](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soravi/id6770170819)
- [Crisp Scan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crisp-scan/id6771958752)
- [DoseVault: Injection Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dosevault-injection-tracker/id6779019633)
- [TanWise: Tan Timer & UV Index](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tanwise-tan-timer-and-uv-index/id6779376742)

All apps by Vikram Joshi: https://appshunter.io/developer/1875452225

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-31.*