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Germany's School Phone Bans: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Partly. Germany has no national law because each of the 16 states runs its schools. About eight states have binding bans, mostly for primary schools; Hesse covers all school types, and Saxony extended its ban to grade 8 for 2026-27.
Hesse has 'smartphone protection zones' at all public schools since 2025-26, banning private use in lessons and breaks, with exceptions for teaching, medical needs and emergencies. Saxony bans devices on the whole site for grades 1 to 8. Bremen covers primary and lower secondary, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia have state bans, and Bavaria, Brandenburg and Saarland cover Grundschulen. Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony make schools set rules; NRW only advises.
Bavaria banned private phone use in primary schools in 2022. Schleswig-Holstein followed in 2023-24, Thuringia in August 2024, and Hesse and Saarland in 2025. Saxony banned phones in primary in February 2026 and in grades 5 to 8 from 2026-27. In March 2026 Bavaria's cabinet backed a statutory ban up to grade 7. Rhineland-Palatinate plans a ban to grade 10, breaks included, from February 2027. A federal expert commission urged a ban to grade 7.
States generally leave the method to schools. Saxony's guidance lets schools keep phones switched off in bags, collect them, or use storage units, and allows exceptions for disability or chronic illness such as glucose monitoring, plus teacher-approved teaching use. Smartwatches are usually covered. Student and teacher representatives have criticised the bans as lacking a wider teaching strategy and clear enforcement.
Whatever the rule in Germany requires of your Grundschule or Gymnasium, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so the school does not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Germany, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student annual licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you already have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a nationwide Handyverbot in German schools?
No. School law is a state matter, and an attempt by Hesse to agree common rules across states did not succeed. Each state sets its own rule.
Which grades are covered in Saxony from 2026-27?
Grades 1 to 8, on the whole school site including breaks, with exceptions for medical needs and teacher-approved use.
Can German schools use phone pouches?
Yes. State rules such as Saxony's leave it to schools whether phones are kept off in bags, collected or stored, so lockable pouches fit within the rules.
Related reading
School phone bans by country · Phone-free schools toolkit · How to roll out phone pouches in a school
Written by the team at Before The Internet, a Toronto-based phone-free company that rents lockable phone pouches for events across North America and sells them to schools and venues worldwide, shipping purchases to any country.
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