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Gabb Z2 Review

We tested the Gabb Z2 phone and combed through its manual to find everything kids can do with it.

Gabb Z2 Phone

Service starts at

$24.99

/mo

No internet
No app store
Unlimited talk and text

View on Gabb Wireless

Compare prices

Plan	Plan price	Phone price	Early termination fee	Learn more
2-Year Contract	$24.99/mo.	$119.99	Up to $150	View plans
1-Year Contract	$24.99/mo.	$134.99	Up to $100	View plans
No Contract	$24.99/mo.	$149.99	None	View plans

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

By Cathy Habas

Apr 25, 2023

5 min read

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review.

The Gabb Z2 phone (now known simply as the Gabb Phone) offers kids a safe introduction to smartphones without exposing them to social media or the internet at large. But the Gabb Phone lacks a few features like contact monitoring or full-text message monitoring, and there’s no way to download parental control software to fill in the gaps.

If those features don’t top your list of concerns, you’ll like the Gabb Z2’s low price, quality display, decent battery life, and balance of fun and function for ages 8 to 13.

Gabb Wireless deals

🔥Use promo code SAFEWISE to get $25 off Gabb Phone 3 Pro, or Gabb Watch 3!*

Info current as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Codes are applicable for new lines only. Promo codes can not be stacked. $30 activation fee.

Pros

No internet and no app store

GPS tracking and geofencing

Unlimited talk and text

microSD card compatible

Radio app

8 MP and 5MP cameras

Cons

Incompatible with other parental controls

No screen time management

No text monitoring

Gabb Phone cost

The Gabb Phone retails for $149.99 and requires a $24.99/mo. service plan through Gabb Wireless. There's also a $25 activation fee.

You can tack on a few perks:

Image texts and group texts ($2.00/mo.)
Gabb Music ($4.99/mo.)
Warranty ($4.99/mo.)
Screen protector ($12.99)
Phone case ($12.99 or $14.99)
Gabb Cloud storage ($0.99/mo. per 10 GB)

Shipping is free, and there's a 15-day money-back period.

Video: Gabb Z2 Kids' Smartphone Review

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Gabb Z2 vs. other kids phones

Product	Best for	Lowest phone price	Lowest service price	Cost to add another line	Money-back period	Warranty	Learn more
Bark Phone	Best overall	Free lease	$29.00/mo.	Full price	None	1 year	View Plans
Pinwheel Slim	Best for multiple kids	$199.00	$14.99/mo.	$4.99/mo.	30 days	None	View Plans
Gabb Phone 3 Pro	Best for budgets	$199.99	$24.99/mo.	$1.75/mo. off starting with 3rd line	15 days	1 year	View Plans
Vtech KidiBuzz 3	Best for preschoolers	$44.40	N/A	N/A	30 days	3 months	View on Amazon
Troomi	Best camera	$199.95	$13.95/mo.	Full price	30 days	Paid warranty only	View Plans

*No contract required. $30 activation. New lines only.
Amazon.com price as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.

No internet or app store on the Gabb Z2 phone

Image: Suzi Brzezinski, SafeWise

The Gabb Z2 looks and acts like a smartphone, but there’s zero internet access. That means no app store, no social media apps, no YouTube, no inappropriate Google searches, no predators, and none of the umpteen dangerous apps and sites you’ve never even heard of.

What’s with the Wi-Fi?

Note that the Gabb Z2 can connect to Wi-Fi to make phone calls when there’s no cellular connection. It’s still a safe phone for kids, since an active Wi-Fi connection isn’t the same as internet access. It’s like having a car but no car keys.

Music player and two cameras

Image: Suzi Brzezinski, SafeWise

With no internet and no games, the Gabb Z2 probably sounds boring to your kid. That’s kind of the point because it helps limit screen time.

But the Z2 isn’t totally sterile. It features front and back cameras, a photo and video editor, a music player, and a radio.

If you don't sign up for access to kid-safe streaming through Gabb Music (about $5/mo.), songs must be transferred to the phone through a computer. It’s smart to check their music library now and then.

The Z2 includes an audio jack but also pairs with Bluetooth headphones, including wireless Gabb Buds (about $50) and the portable Gabb Blast Speaker (also about $50).

"You can turn video recording off and on through the Gabb parent app." —Suzi B., SafeWise product tester

Other pre-installed apps

Image: Suzi Brzezinski, SafeWise

These functional apps round out the Gabb Z2:

Call
Message
Contacts
Calculator
Clock
Calendar
Files
Voice recorder
Settings

Limited parental controls

Screenshot: Suzi Brzezinski, SafeWise

The Gabb Z2’s lack of internet means you can’t download a parental control app to monitor your kid’s phone usage. You can’t create screen time schedules, remotely turn off the phone, or control who gets to contact your kid (and vice versa).

If you want these features with an internet-free device, consider a kids smartwatch like the Gabb Watch. Otherwise, you’ll need to pair a parental control app (we really like Bark) with a fully functional smartphone or take a look at other kids smartphones.

Spam filter for texts

The Z2 features a built-in spam filter for text messages, but we’re not sure which words trigger the filter. It also seems to screen texts only from numbers not saved as contacts.

Bark is a good option for text monitoring, but it doesn’t work with the Gabb Z2.

GPS tracking and geofencing

Screenshot: Suzi Brzezinski, SafeWise

We’re impressed that Gabb Wireless built its own GPS tracking system to eliminate third-party privacy concerns. Parents use their own app called MyGabb to see the phone's real-time location.

"You can ping the Gabb phone to get their current location, or you can schedule automatic location updates," our tester said.

Yes, the Gabb Z2 has Safe Zones

The Gabb Wireless website gives some conflicting information about the Z2 phone's geofencing capabilities. Based on Gabb's own comparison charts, we previously noted that you couldn't set up Safe Zones for the Gabb phone.

Our tester Suzi says it's indeed possible to set up geofencing for the Gabb phone, but she couldn't get the safe zone as small as she wanted.

One mom's thoughts on the Gabb Z2 phone

Mom Suzi tested the Gabb Z2 phone with her kids, ages 5 and 8. She described it as a "pretty basic phone" that takes "OK-quality photos."

"It's the size of a normal phone, so it's not convenient to carry around," Suzi said, noting that both of her kids eventually preferred the Gabb Watch after the Z2's novelty wore off.

That said, the phone had a better battery life than the watch.

Gabb Z1 vs. Gabb Phone

If your kid has the older Gabb Z1, it’s worth upgrading. Here are the major improvements released with the latest version of the Gabb Phone:

Fingerprint reader
Bluetooth compatibility
Radio
Music player
Twice as much storage (32 GB vs. 16 GB)
Improved battery life (2,650 mAh vs. 2,200 mAh)
Slightly larger and clearer display (5.45 inches vs. 5 inches; 720p vs. 480p; 196 ppi vs. 295 ppi)
Different processor (2.00 gHz MediaTek Helio vs. 1.10 gHz Qualcomm Snapdragon)

Gabb Phone vs. Gabb Phone Plus

There's a new kid phone on the block—the Gabb Phone Plus. Made by Samsung, the Gabb Phone Plus automatically comes with image and group texting but lacks a fingerprint scanner.

The biggest difference in the Gabb Phone Plus was the addition of third-party apps—all of which have been carefully selected by Gabb and deemed kid-friendly. But it looks like the apps are now available on the Z2 with a software upgrade.

The next-biggest difference is that the new-and-improved Gabb Music Plus subscription (which hasn't hit the market yet) will only work with the Gabb Phone Plus.

Other than that, there are some minor spec differences, like a larger display and better battery life in the Gabb Phone Plus.

The Gabb Phone Plus retails for about $200 and its service plan starts at about $30 a month.

Final word

Being ready for a cell phone isn’t the same as being ready for the internet. The Gabb Z2 is a great stepping stone between a too-basic flip phone and a too-chaotic smartphone.

If you’re not sure it fits your child’s needs, check out our roundup of other phones for kids.

Gabb Z2 FAQ

Yes, the Gabb Z2 can send pictures and videos via text but only if you pay an extra $2/mo. for this service.

Yes, the Gabb phone has GPS that’s monitored through the parent app MyGabb.

The Gabb Z2 is an internet- and app-free mobile phone for kids. Its bare-bones design is meant to decrease screen time and keep kids safe from online threats .

You have to purchase a Gabb Wireless plan to use the Z2. It does not work with other wireless carriers.

Yes, Gabb offers unlimited talk and text on both plans.

The Gabb phone connects to Wi-Fi for phone calls when there’s poor cell reception. There’s no web browser or any other way to access the internet from a Gabb phone.

You can add an unlimited number of contacts to a Gabb phone.

How we reviewed the Gabb Z2

For our Gabb Z2 review, we gave the phone to a mom and her two kids for hands-on testing. We also read the user manual and even got a copy of the original Z1 manual. We compared its features to similar products, like kids smartwatches and parental control apps, to determine the Z2’s contribution to the industry.

We also poked around on the Gabb Wireless website and YouTube channel. To learn more about how we review products, read the SafeWise methodology page.