Prince William, the heir to the British throne, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, widely known as Kate Middleton, have publicly signalled that Prince George will not be handed an internet-connected iPhone simply because he is now a teenager. Their concern is not the Apple brand itself, but the unrestricted internet access, social media and online material that come with a modern smartphone.
William outlined the plan during a November 2025 conversation with Brazilian television presenter Luciano Huck, saying the couple's three children did not have mobile phones. He said George could receive 'a phone that has no internet access' when he moves to a secondary school, presenting a basic device as a possible compromise rather than opening the door to a full smartphone.
Why Prince George Won't Get an iPhone Yet
William's comments were about internet-enabled smartphones generally rather than Apple specifically. The Prince of Wales said internet access was the part he found difficult, explaining that children could encounter material online that they did not need to see.
A phone limited to calls and text messages would allow George to contact his family without giving him immediate access to apps, social feeds or web browsing.
William also acknowledged that withholding a phone had become a point of tension as George approached his teenage years.
However, he said the family talks through the reasoning behind the rule rather than simply imposing it without explanation. That approach suggests the restriction is intended to change gradually as George grows older and takes on more independence.
The Wales children's phone-free routine was discussed publicly several weeks earlier in Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy. During the Windsor Castle episode, William told Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy that none of his children had phones and that the family was 'very strict' about the rule. George, who turned 13 on 22 July, is the eldest of the couple's three children and second in line to the British throne.
Kate's Screen-Time Warning
Kate's own public work offers further context for the decision. In an October 2025 essay co-written with Harvard Medical School professor Robert Waldinger for the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, she argued that digital devices can interrupt the attention needed to build close relationships. 'Our smartphones, tablets, and computers have become sources of constant distraction', the essay stated.
The essay did not focus only on children or call for technology to be removed entirely. It acknowledged that new technology has benefits while warning that constant notifications, feeds and divided attention can leave people physically together but mentally elsewhere. That wider argument closely matches the family habits William described, including prioritising conversation when they are together.
A Basic Phone May Come First
George's move into secondary education creates the clearest opening for the couple to relax the rule. William has indicated that a basic phone without internet access could be acceptable, particularly when George needs a direct way to contact his parents. He did not identify a brand, model or confirmed date for when the teenager would receive one.
Their publicly stated position is therefore more precise than a blanket refusal to let George own a phone. William and Kate appear willing to give him communication tools while delaying access to the wider smartphone ecosystem, and their comments show that the boundary is being discussed within the family. For the future king, turning 13 may bring greater independence, but his parents' stated plan keeps unrestricted mobile internet off the table for now.
