Back to the future? Gen Alpha is going nuts for this $100 landline-inspired device
Gen Alpha has gone nuts for a cheap landline-inspired device that connects them with their friends.
In a time when everyone is eyeing the latest $1,000 iPhone , a $100 colorful can-shaped phone for kids is sweeping the nation.
The Tin Can is a WiFi-enabled device that allows kids to talk to their friends and reach the police in emergencies while avoiding strangers, scammers and social media .
"It doesn't have apps, texting, or games—just real conversation with friends, neighbors, Grandma, or whoever you add to your approved contact list," an online description of the device reads.
The Tin Can has gone viral since debuting in April 2025 as schools and nostalgic parents embrace an old-school alternative to a smartphone.
Gen Alpha has gone nuts for a cheap landline-inspired device that connects them with their friends (Tin Can)
"The response from both parents and kids has been incredible. Entire communities are coming together to get Tin Cans for every child, and schools are eager to bring them to their students," Tin Can CEO Chet Kittleson told The Independent .
The chief executive added, "I think it's resonated so much because kids are craving connection and autonomy and, until now, there hasn't been a safe, fun option that they actually want and that parents can feel good about."
"It's not uncommon for the phone to start ringing within minutes," Justin Finn said of the Tin Can shared by his two elementary school-aged kids.
"There is a real excitement around it that we have not seen with many other additions within the home," he told Bloomberg on Friday.
The Tin Can is a WiFi-enabled device that allows kids to talk to their friends and reach the police in emergencies while avoiding strangers, scammers and social media (AFP via Getty Images)
Hundreds of thousands of Tin Cans have been sold so far, mostly due to word-of-mouth, Bloomberg reported, citing the company.
Schools, including the Finn kids' Nativity Parish School outside of Kansas City, are handing out the devices for free to prevent children from becoming addicted to social media , according to the outlet.
YouTube and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, were recently found liable in a Los Angeles case where a young woman testified that her early use of social media caused her to become addicted and worsened her mental health.
The Tin Can has gone viral since debuting in April 2025 as schools and nostalgic parents embrace an old-school alternative to a smartphone (Getty Images)
Not only may parents be drawn to the Tin Can for its social media blackout, but also for the nostalgia it brings.
"We could have built some modern device and made it look all kid-ified," Kittleson said in Bloomberg's article. "But I wanted this to be something immediately relatable to the buyer, the parent — something understood inherently that reminded them of their simple childhood because that's what we're all yearning for."
Tin Can told The Independent that it hopes to bring the product to the UK sometime this year.
"We're focused on keeping up with demand and giving every customer a truly magical experience," Kittleson told The Independent.
