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Uruguay's School Phone Ban Bill: What Schools Need to Know in 2026
Not yet. A bill banning students' personal devices in class and at break passed Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies on 16 February 2026 but still needs a Senate vote. For now, each school sets its own rule.
No national law is in force. Rules today are set school by school, and dozens of public and private schools restrict phones during lessons. ANEP, the public education authority, set up a working group to study regulation. Its president, Pablo Caggiani, and the education minister, José Carlos Mahía, have said they favour regulating phones rather than banning them outright.
Deputy Maximiliano Campo of the Colorado Party tabled the bill in February 2025. It would ban personal portable devices for non-educational use during classes, breaks and intervals in public initial, primary and secondary schools, with ANEP writing the protocols. The Chamber of Deputies approved it on 16 February 2026. As of October 2026 we found no record of a Senate vote.
Schools that restrict phones use plastic baskets at the classroom door, storage boxes emptied at the end of the day, lockers, or magnetic pouches. A study by INEEd of one private school that holds phones all day for grades 7 to 9 found 94% of families and 73% of teachers in favour, with 45% of students reporting better concentration. ANEP has said the evidence on learning is not yet conclusive.
Whatever your school or a future law requires, lockable pouches let students keep their own phone, locked, from the first bell to the last, so liceos do not collect, store or answer for devices. Before The Internet ships lockable phone pouches and unlocking bases worldwide, including to Uruguay, and can print the school's name or crest on them. Schools buy them outright: one price, no subscription, lease or per-student licence. Send us your student numbers and any written quote you have, and we will beat it.
Frequently asked questions
Has Uruguay passed a law banning phones in schools?
Not fully. The bill passed the Chamber of Deputies on 16 February 2026, but it still needs Senate approval before it becomes law.
Would the bill cover breaks?
Yes. As tabled, it covers classes, breaks and intervals in public initial, primary and secondary schools.
Can schools restrict phones now?
Yes. Many public and private schools already set their own limits, using baskets, boxes, lockers or pouches.
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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