Frequently asked questions

NextRange's Standard plan starts at $7.99/month for 2 GB of data with up to 5 GB of rollover. Because it's data-only (no phone number, texting, or voice included), it's priced for what a kid's first connected device actually needs, not a full phone line. Full breakdown on the pricing page.

Look for an eSIM plan built around parental controls, not just cheap data. NextRange is being designed around pause/resume, school and bedtime schedules, shared family data across siblings, and no automatic overage charges: controls a general-purpose data eSIM plan usually won't include, since those aren't designed specifically for kids. See what NextRange includes for the full picture.

Yes. NextRange is intentionally data-only: it doesn't include a native phone number, SMS line, or cellular voice service. Your child gets internet connectivity for messaging apps, video calling, maps, and other apps, without a traditional phone number attached to the device. See what NextRange is for the full detail.

Dedicated kids-phone products usually require buying specific hardware and bundle in heavier monitoring features, often at a higher monthly cost. NextRange takes the opposite approach: use a phone your family already owns, and add data plus parent-managed controls on top of it. No new device required.

Start with a device you already own that supports eSIM. Check our supported devices list and confirm it's carrier-unlocked. Set up your platform's parental controls (Family Sharing and Screen Time on iPhone, Google Family Link on Android/Samsung), add a NextRange data eSIM for connectivity away from Wi-Fi, and enable location sharing. Our step-by-step guides walk through each platform.

It depends what the family needs. A data-only eSIM like NextRange is a better fit when a child mainly needs messaging, maps, and video calling away from Wi-Fi, and doesn't yet need a traditional phone number, unlimited texting, or cellular voice calling. A full phone plan makes more sense once a family wants a real phone number the child can give out and receive calls/texts on independent of an internet connection. See the full comparison.

NextRange's first launch track is Standard, designed around single-network coverage. Max Coverage is a planned multi-network upgrade that is still being validated before broader rollout. We don't publish which specific carriers power each tier. See pricing for the current estimate.

Data access pauses: there are no automatic overage charges. Low-balance alerts and data top-ups are part of the planned beta model, so families can add more data instead of getting surprised by overage charges.

NextRange plans are intended to be month-to-month with no long-term contract. Cancellation is planned to take effect at the end of the current paid period.

NextRange is built to install a prepaid data eSIM directly on a compatible iPhone your family already owns. It adds cellular data without creating a new phone number, SMS line, or voice line. You're not adding another line to your carrier account, just data to a device. See the iPhone setup guide for the full walkthrough.

In most cases, yes, if the iPhone supports a standard downloadable eSIM (iPhone XS and newer, generally) and isn't carrier-locked. Check the exact model against our supported devices list, then follow our iPhone setup guide to add a NextRange eSIM alongside Family Sharing and Screen Time.

No. iMessage can be set up using just an Apple ID and an email address. A traditional phone number isn't required. That makes it a natural fit for a data-only device: your child can message other Apple devices over Wi-Fi or cellular data without a phone line. See the iPhone setup guide for the full walkthrough.

Yes. Find My uses your child's Apple ID and location services, not a phone number, so it works over any active internet connection: Wi-Fi or a NextRange data eSIM. It's the location tool we recommend, rather than relying on carrier-based tracking.

Yes. FaceTime runs over an internet connection using an Apple ID, not a cellular voice line. A NextRange data eSIM is enough to make and receive FaceTime calls away from Wi-Fi.

They solve different problems. A cellular Apple Watch needs its own carrier-specific cellular plan (a "Digital Duo" or similar line) through a supporting carrier. NextRange doesn't provision Apple Watch cellular. An old iPhone with a NextRange eSIM gets a full app and browser experience, not just a watch-sized interface, often for a comparable or lower monthly cost, using hardware you may already have instead of buying a new Watch. Check device compatibility to see if your old iPhone qualifies.

Yes, if the device supports a standard downloadable eSIM and isn't carrier-locked. Support varies a lot by brand, model, and region, so check the exact model against our supported devices list first. Then follow the Android setup guide, which covers Google Family Link, Find My Device, and messaging options.

Android doesn't have a clean equivalent to iMessage here. Google's default messaging app ties its RCS chat features to an actual phone number on the SIM, which a data-only eSIM doesn't provide, so regular texting through Google Messages won't reliably work. See our full messaging apps comparison for real alternatives: Messenger Kids needs no phone number at all, and Google Voice can give your child an actual phone number that runs over data.

Yes. Find My Device uses your child's Google Account and location services, not a phone number, so it works over Wi-Fi or a NextRange data eSIM the same way. See the Android setup guide for the full walkthrough.

Yes. Google Meet is the Android equivalent to FaceTime. It runs on a Google Account over any internet connection, no phone number required, so it works fine over a NextRange data eSIM. See the Android setup guide for the full walkthrough.

Yes, if the exact Galaxy model supports a standard downloadable eSIM and isn't carrier-locked. Support varies by model and region/carrier SKU, so check it against our supported devices list first. Then follow the Samsung setup guide, which covers One UI's specific settings paths.

Yes. Samsung Kids is a separate, Samsung-specific kids' mode that turns the device into a simplified, curated launcher. It works alongside a NextRange data eSIM the same way Google Family Link does, and many families layer the two together: Family Link for account-level supervision, Samsung Kids for a simpler day-to-day interface. See the Samsung setup guide for how they fit together.

On Samsung's One UI, it's under Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM, a different path than stock Android's Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. Samsung Galaxy devices also have their own SmartThings Find, in addition to Google's Find My Device, for extra location-tracking coverage. Full details in the Samsung setup guide.