Understanding The New Smartphone Rules For K-12 Students In New York

Beginning with the 2025-2026 New York State School year, bell-to-bell restrictions will be put into place throughout school districts.

In an announcement by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul today (May 6, 2025), this fall, the policy will go into effect, creating a statewide standard for distraction-free schools in the Empire State, as part of the fiscal year 2026 state budget.

During the announcement, it was noted that New York will become the largest state in the nation to require statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. The purpose of this policy is to help protect youth mental health and promote student success in the digital age.

This new policy will mean there will be no unsanctioned use of smartphones or other internet-enabled personal devices on school grounds for the entire day, including classroom time and other settings.

New York was the first state to target addictive social media feeds, and now we’re the largest state to restrict smartphones in schools throughout the entire school day. I know our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling, and that’s why New York continues to lead the nation on protecting our kids in the digital age. - New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

The new policy does clarify that students would still be authorized to have access to simple cellphones without internet capability, and internet-enabled devices provided by the school for classroom instruction, including laptops and tablets used as part of lesson plans.

Today's announcement noted that there are also exceptions to the new policy, including students who require access to an internet-enabled device to manage a medical condition, where required by a student's Individualized Education Program for academic purposes, or for other legitimate purposes.

For more information, visit the Governor Hochul website for the announcement or check out the video below.

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