More Schools Say No to Phones

U.S. states and school districts are making new rules to limit the use of cell phones in schools.

Many schools hold onto students’ phones. Students get their phones back at the end of the day.

Should students be allowed to have cell phones at school? A growing number of U.S. states and school districts are saying no. In most states, recent rules have banned or limited the use of cell phones in school.

As of the fall of 2026, at least 45 states have laws or rules about how or when students can use cell phones at school. Thirty-six states have banned or limited cell phone use at school. Five states have told school districts they must make rules about student cell phone use. And four states are encouraging school districts to limit student cell phone use. Governments and schools have made these rules because of concerns that cell phones can distract students from learning.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

This map shows the school cell phone policies in U.S. states.

Many schools have “bell-to-bell bans,” which means students aren’t allowed to use their phones between the time the morning bell rings to begin school and the last bell rings, signaling the end of the day. The Corning-Painted Post Area School District in New York state has had a bell-to-bell ban since 2025. Students are required to put their phones into pouches that can be unlocked only at the end of the day. Some other schools, especially high schools, allow students to use their phones at lunchtime.

Experts aren’t sure yet if cell phone bans help students do better in school. So far, studies do not show much improvement in grades and test scores where cell phones are banned. But the bans are still new, and it will take time to figure out how they affect students.

How do students feel about the bans? Around the United States, their reactions have been mixed. But there are signs that students can get used to cell phone bans. One survey asked teens how a cell phone ban affected them during the 2025–2026 school year. In the beginning of the year, many students said the ban made them less happy than before. Later in the year, more students said the ban had no effect on their happiness.

Did You Know?

One in four American kids has a smartphone by age 8.

Six-Year-Old Is a Speed Cuber

To solve a Rubik’s Cube, turn its layers until each side has only one color.

Have you ever used a Rubik’s Cube? The cube is a puzzle that challenges users to turn its three layers until each side of the cube has only one color. It can be difficult even for adults. But one 6-year-old in China can solve a Rubik’s Cube in seconds.

Lian Yunzhi is a “speed cuber,” which means she’s a person who has learned to solve a Rubik’s Cube unusually fast. Known by the nickname “Zhizhi,” little Yunzhi solved a cube in just over four seconds, breaking a world record for “cubing” speed. She’s the first female speed cuber whose average speed is under 4.5 seconds.

The Internet Changed Everything!

This photo was taken during the early years of the Internet.

Smartphones wouldn’t be possible without the Internet, a network of computers that most people never used until about the 1990s. You can learn more about how the Internet changed the world at Britannica!

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“In the News: More Schools Say No to Phones.” Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026. https://news.eb.com/level1/more-schools-say-no-to-phones. Accessed 8 Oct 2026 [Replace this date with today’s date.]