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Guide

How to Turn an Old Android Phone Into a Kid's First Phone

An old Android phone can become your child's first connected device without adding a new phone line. Here's the full setup, using Google's built-in family tools and a NextRange data eSIM.

1. Check eSIM compatibility and unlock status

Not every Android phone supports a standard downloadable eSIM, even if it technically has eSIM hardware. Check the exact model against our supported devices list. Support varies a lot by brand, model, and region.

You'll also need the phone to be carrier-unlocked. If you're not sure, see how to check if your phone is unlocked before continuing.

2. Factory reset and update the device

Back up anything you need, then factory reset the phone (Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data) and install the latest available software update before setting it up for your child.

3. Create a Google Account for your child

During setup, choose "Set up for a child" (or add a child account afterward via Settings → Google → Family). This creates a Google Account you manage. Your child doesn't need their own email address or phone number to get one.

Google Family Link is Android's parental supervision system, roughly Android's equivalent of Family Sharing and Screen Time combined. Install the Family Link app on your own phone, link your child's device, and set app approval, screen time limits, and content restrictions from there.

5. Install the NextRange eSIM

Once you've joined the NextRange waitlist and been onboarded, you'll get a QR code or install link. The setting is generally found under Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM, though the exact wording varies slightly by manufacturer and Android version.

6. Configure mobile data settings

Confirm the NextRange eSIM is set as the active data connection, and give it a recognizable name.

7. Enable Find My Device

Turn on Find My Device (Settings → Google → Find My Device) so you can see your child's device location. It works via their Google Account over any active internet connection (Wi-Fi or the NextRange data eSIM), no phone number required.

8. Set up video calling

Google Meet is the closest Android equivalent to FaceTime. It runs on a Google account over any internet connection, no phone number needed.

9. Set up messaging

This is the one place Android doesn't have a clean, built-in equivalent to iMessage. Google's default messaging app (Google Messages) ties its RCS chat features to an actual phone number on the SIM. Since a NextRange eSIM is data-only, regular texting through Google Messages won't reliably work. A few real options instead:

  • Messenger Kids (Meta): no phone number, email, or independent account needed for your child at all; it's managed entirely through your own Facebook account. Best fit for younger kids.
  • Google Chat: just the Google Account you already set up in step 3.
  • Discord: email + username signup, no phone number for a basic account (Discord's own terms set a 13+ minimum).
  • Google Voice: gives your child a real phone number that works over data, not a SIM. You'll need to verify the Google Voice number using your own existing phone number first (a one-time step), then hand that number to your child's device. Texts and calls go through the Google Voice app rather than the native Messages app.
  • If your family wants WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram specifically, know that all three require a phone number to create the account in the first place. Pairing one with a Google Voice number (above) is the practical way to do that on a data-only device.

10. Choose approved apps

Approve whichever messaging and other apps you've chosen through Family Link.

11. Test connectivity away from Wi-Fi

Turn off Wi-Fi and confirm messaging, video calling, maps, and Find My Device all work over the NextRange data connection before handing the phone over for real.

What this setup doesn't include

NextRange is data-only. There's no traditional phone number, SMS line, or cellular voice service built in. The apps above cover messaging and calling over data, but your child won't have a conventional phone number to give out and receive calls/texts on independent of an app. If that's essential, a full phone plan is a better fit.

Ready to get started? Check your device and join the waitlist.