Bark Phone vs Best Buy Cell Phones For Kids: Which Is Best?

The Bark Phone for kids is a Samsung A series. We purposely designed it so that it wouldn’t be recognizable as a “kiddie” phone. No one will know it’s a kid phone unless you tell them. Bark’s powerful parental controls are all internal — there’s no Bark branding, logos, or other tell-tales that would broadcast it as a kid’s cell phone. 

It comes with all the standard features of a Samsung phone.

Regardless of whether a parent has an iPhone or an Android, they will be able to manage the Bark Phone with no issues, so don’t worry about compatibility problems.

Because Bark’s software is built directly into the phone, it automatically monitors texts, emails, social media, and apps. Bark also can't be deleted from the Bark Phone, which helps ensure the settings you put into this cell phone for kids will stay.

The Bark Phone also offers exclusive features that the app doesn’t, including:

• Contact approvals
• App install approvals
• Remote alarms
• Daily screen time limits
• Completely tamper-proof settings

Every Bark Phone comes with:

• Unlimited talk and text
• Bark Premium subscription for the entire family
• USB-C charging cord
• A data plan that fits your family’s needs (non-starter plans only)
• Quick start guide for easy setup

If your family already has a Bark Premium subscription, no problem! After your first Bark Phone payment, we'll adjust your plan and add any credits due from your old subscription to your next month's Bark Phone payment.

The Bark Phone has no activation fee. You’ll pay $10/month for 24 months to cover the cost of the device plus your monthly wireless plan. 

Your monthly plan cost will include:

• A Bark Premium subscription for the entire family
• Our built-in parental controls
• Unlimited talk & text
• Mobile data (if you choose it)

Starter plan:

• $29/month for unlimited talk, text, and no internet, app store, or games

Advanced plans:

• $39/month for unlimited talk, text, and Wi-Fi only (no data)
• $49/month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB data
• $59/month for unlimited talk, text, and 8GB data
• $79/month for unlimited talk, text, and data¹

¹ After exceeding 35GB/month of data use, data speeds will be reduced for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle. After exceeding 50GB/month of data usage, data speeds may be reduced further and/or data connection may be turned off for the remainder of the monthly billing cycle.

Right now, the Bark Phone for kids is only available for families located in the U.S.

Tell us what country you'd like to bring the Bark Phone to next.

We have two options when it comes to apps on our cell phone for kids.

The starter plan is our locked-down version perfect for younger kids or teens who need more supervision. It allows for texting and calling — that’s it. No internet, no apps, no games.

Our advanced plans, on the other hand, allow your child to request any apps in the Google Play store. You can choose which ones to allow or block.

The Bark Phone stands out from other kid phones because of our advanced content monitoring that comes built-in. Our software automatically scans texts, photos, videos, apps & social media for dangers and sends you an alert if something concerning is found. 

We also made it completely customizable, because every family — and kid — is different. For younger kids, you can make the Bark Phone work essentially like a non-smartphone with our starter plan, which is talk and text only with no internet access.  

As they get older and become ready for more responsibility, you can easily upgrade to our advanced plan and add in access to apps and games. The best part? You keep the same phone!

Yes! The Bark Phone is updated regularly and automatically to keep up with changes in technology and when we add new features — which happens frequently! We’re constantly in touch with actual Bark Phone parents and implement feedback that families would like to see.

If you cancel your Bark Phone subscription more than 60 days after purchase, you'll need to pay off what remains of the $240 total cost of the phone. After that, the phone is yours to keep.

The amount you owe depends on when you cancel. 

Here are some examples:

• If you’ve made only two payments, you’ll still owe $220 + tax.
  
• If you’ve made 12 payments, you’ll owe $120 + tax.
  

If you’d like to remove Bark’s software and use the phone like a regular Android, our support team can help. Contact us if you have any questions!

This is a common concern for families! With our kid-safe phones, you’ll always be able to keep an on your child’s data usage from your Bark parent app/dashboard. 

If your child reaches their allotted data limit for the month, you won’t be charged anything. Their experience on the Bark Phone will simply be reduced speeds — this is called “throttling” and is standard practice for phone carriers. 

If you’d like to upgrade your child’s data plan, you can add more GB at any time from your account, and it will go into effect quickly.

Rest assured that your account will never automatically upgrade. Your child just may experience slower speeds for streaming and surfing the web. To help reduce data usage, encourage your kid to connect to trusted Wi-Fi networks whenever possible.

Absolutely! When you buy a Bark Phone, you get free access to the Bark app, which you can put on other phones, tablets, computers, and more — perfect for siblings! Adding Bark to every device in your house helps create layers of protection for your family no matter how your children get online.

Nope! You keep the same phone and simply upgrade (or downgrade!) straight from the parent app. Changes will go into effect in just a few minutes.

FCC Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations for Wireless Devices

The FCC established requirements for devices to be compatible with hearing aids and other hearing devices. For more information, visit the FCC website.

The wireless phone devices sold by Bark have been shown to be HAC compatible for GSM, LTE, and UMTS.

HAC for Newer Technologies:

The wireless phone devices sold by Bark have been tested and rated for use with hearing aids for some of the wireless technologies used. However, there may be some newer wireless technologies used in this device that have not been tested yet for use with hearing aids. It is important to try the different features of this device thoroughly and in different locations, using your hearing aid or cochlear implant, to determine if you hear any interfering noise. Consult your service provider or the manufacturer of this device for information on hearing aid compatibility.

You sure can! Bark lets you transfer an existing number from another carrier — known as "porting" — at no additional cost! Check out this help article for step-by-step instructions.

Yes, we offer optional device protection plans with AKKO that cover accidental damage, loss, and more — because life happens. Learn more here.

Visit bark.us/contact to get in touch with our customer support team — they’re standing by ready to help!