Tweens first phone

[Seanzo]

So I'm looking at options for a basic starter phone and plan for my 12 year old. I see the basic $15/mo plan (which I already have) only comes with data. Is there a way to turn off the data so that the phone would only use talk, text and Wi-Fi? Are there any data-free options?

[Grinch]

Pretty much all plans from any carrier include a bit of data. 
A youngster will eventually find the switches for data. And their wise friends, younger and older will tell them how it works. 
A phone that doesn’t have a data option…..maybe. 
Fear of being struck by a lightning bolt might work till he/she phones child services…..maybe. 
Asking carrier to turn it off. Telus prepaid did it for me years ago. There may be a charge to do that?

If an  iPhone,  make sure you don’t turn on iMessage. It will cause a conflict of iMessage vs text and data/wifi vs no data. 

Best thing is get any phone and make sure data switches never get turned on. Even if “you” burned the data up…… you run that risk of a text asking to buy add on data. Check other plans that are annual like Telus or Freedom. 

[Nezgar]

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@Chalupa_Batman wrote:

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Sadly there are no data free options anymore @Seanzo . The $19 1GB of data is the cheapest one. Good thing is it's maxed at 1GB. 

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Looks like PM still offers a $15/250MB plan in Quebec, so OP may be seeing it if they are located there.

[DennyCrane]

Unfortunately you can't disable data at the account level. Additionally, if they burn through the 500MB of data they may get a text asking if they want to purchase a data add-on. All they would need to do is respond to the text and the card on file will be charged accordingly.

[hTideGnow]

hi @Seanzo 

If you want to turn off Mobile data completely, you can try to lock the screen with the Mobile data using some app.  

Or if you are using Android, you can set the APN wrong on purpose so data simply won't work, but you might still have to lock the screen with Reset Network Settings with some app

And to add to the comment about PM being prepaid and cannot over use data.  Please remember PM might send text to the phone and ask if the user want to add more data, and they just need to reply Yes to get more.  To avoid that, block the number "4910", it is the shortcode where PM sent the text about adding data

[BKNS27]

@Seanzo 

If you are a Costco member. You can pick up an unlocked TCL Rio 502 cell phones for around $100 and a little more for a Moto G 5G around $200.

Or a refurbished Google Pixel 6 for around $250 at Telus’s Mobile Klink.

[will13am]

@Seanzo , if you are concerned about data overages, this service is prepaid and so the data simply stops when the allotted usage is consumed.  

[Chalupa_Batman]

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@Seanzo wrote:

So I'm looking at options for a basic starter phone and plan for my 12 year old. I see the basic $15/mo plan (which I already have) only comes with data. Is there a way to turn off the data so that the phone would only use talk, text and Wi-Fi? Are there any data-free options?

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Sadly there are no data free options anymore @Seanzo . The $19 1GB of data is the cheapest one. Good thing is it's maxed at 1GB. 

[hairbag1]

@Seanzo 

nope...all currently offered plans include some data.