How do I set a phone to only call certain numbers?

Can you recommend a simple mobile phone for my son who has learning disabilities? We want to provide him with a phone, but wish to control the numbers he can call and prevent him from inadvertently running up large bills.

We have given him various contract phones and each one so far has been a financial disaster -- he has bought services without any understanding of what he was purchasing. Please help!

Cliff Pooley

Hi Cliff,

Fortunately, there is a solution to your problem. Some phones and network operators provide a service called fixed dialling. This lets you set up a phone to only call certain numbers. Before you sign up for another contract, make sure the network operator and phone supports fixed dialling. This way your son can choose a phone he likes and you can make sure that he doesn't call inappropriate numbers.

Alternatively, you can stop the phone from calling out altogether by setting it to bar all outgoing calls. This does mean that your son won't be able to call you, though.