Tin Can: Everything you need to know about the viral screen-free phone for kids

If you'd rather not hand the latest iPhone or Android device over to your kids, you may well be interested in the Tin Can, a landline-inspired, Wi-Fi-enabled phone that's already sold hundreds of thousands of units (according to Bloomberg). This retro device, first launched in April 2025, has become a word-of-mouth hit with families across the US and Canada (where the phone is currently available). Here's what you need to know about Tin Can, including where to get your hands on one.

What is Tin Can?

Essentially, Tin Can phones are screen-free, analog devices gives young kids the ability to stay in touch with friends without all the potential distractions that can be found on any of the best phones on the market.

Per the Tin Can website, the handset is designed to be a safe device to foster connection and independence in young users. As the Seattle-based company puts it, Tin Can offers "parental controls and nothing more — no screens, no apps, no texting, just voice-to-voice connection."

Parents can access a Tin Can smartphone companion app where they can approve who can dial in and out, and even set callable hours or enable Do Not Disturb.

Users can make unlimited calls to other Tin Can owners and make 911 calls for free via the Can 2 Can plan, but you can also upgrade to the $9.99/month "Party Line" plan, which additionally lets kids call other approved contacts on regular phones, including your own cell. Per the Tin Can product page, you'll get one month's access to the Party Line plan for free when you purchase a new device.

Tin Can phones plug into a regular wall outlet (rather than a phone jack) and come in a variety of colorways — Answer Me Aquamarine, Static White, Landline Lemon, or Later Alligator Lilac, which you can see throughout this article.

Interested? Parents in the U.S. and Canada can order the phone on the official Tin Can website. At the time of writing, the next batch of Tin Cans (Batch #6) is slated to ship in June 2026; the first five waves sold out.

A new Tin Can will set you back $100, but there are discounts for bundles. You'll save $5 per Tin Can if you buy 2, or $10 per phone when you order three or more Tin Cans.

Tin Can may be making its way to other markets in the near future, too. The Independent says Tin Can told them they plan to bring the landline-inspired device to the U.K. "sometime this year." "We're focused on keeping up with demand and giving every customer a truly magical experience," Tin Can CEO Chet Kittleson told the publication.

For more information about the phone, be sure to head over to tincan.kids, or follow Tin Can on Instagram.

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