Odido app for children passes 10,000 downloads, company says
Startphone aims to help parents introduce children to smartphones step by step, but the current download claim comes solely from Odido itself.
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Telecoms company Odido’s Startphone app for children has been downloaded more than 10,000 times in four months, according to the company. The app is intended to help parents gradually introduce children to smartphones and social media.
Startphone works as a customised Android environment on a child’s phone. According to Odido, parents can set different levels, with functions such as calling, messaging and social media becoming available step by step.
The app was developed by Odido together with researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. According to Tweakers, Startphone was also available at its launch in June to children of customers of other telecoms providers.
Odido says interest in the app coincides with the growing public debate about children’s smartphone use. The company describes the download milestone as a reason to seek to expand cooperation with other providers, technology companies, academia and government.
The 10,000 downloads, however, are a statement made by Odido itself. The current number of downloads has not been independently confirmed. Downloads also do not show how many families actively use the app, how long they do so or what effect the app has on screen time and online safety.
The news is therefore primarily a company claim about usage, rather than independently established evidence that Startphone improves children’s smartphone use. The download figure does not indicate how well the app works.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Odido reports more than 10,000 downloads in four months.
- Startphone offers age and function levels for smartphone use.
- The app was developed with the UvA and the VU.
- Independent confirmation of the current download figure is lacking.
Left
Arguments Digital platforms and telecoms companies should take more responsibility for protecting children; voluntary tools are useful but should not replace regulation.
Values Children’s rights, public protection and corporate responsibility.
Consequences Stricter rules could reduce risks, but parents and children may experience less freedom of choice.
Centre
Arguments A tool such as Startphone can provide practical support to parents, provided it remains voluntary, operates transparently and is evaluated independently.
Values Proportionality, freedom of choice and evidence-based policymaking.
Consequences Parents gain more guidance, while it remains to be seen whether the app actually improves behaviour or wellbeing.
Right
Arguments Parents should have primary responsibility for deciding how their children use media; companies can offer tools without the government prescribing a single approach.
Values Family autonomy, freedom of choice and limited government intervention.
Consequences A voluntary approach can be introduced more quickly, but protects children less if parents have little time or knowledge.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text explicitly presents the number of downloads as an Odido claim and avoids unsubstantiated statements about effectiveness. Because independent confirmation is lacking, the status is insufficient_sources.
- uncertain Startphone has been downloaded more than 10,000 times in four months. — Reported only by Odido itself; independent confirmation is lacking. source
- confirmed The app was developed with the UvA and the VU. — Mentioned by Odido and Tweakers. source
- confirmed Startphone uses step-by-step restrictions for smartphone functions. — Description by Tweakers. source
Editor's note
The current download milestone has only been reported by Odido. Tweakers confirms the app’s operation, launch and availability, but not the current number of downloads.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Tweakers — „odido startphone”
- AD — „odido startphone”
- RTL Nieuws — „odido startphone”