“Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) programs are both extremely popular and extremely misunderstood in the ed-tech world. At the most basic level, “BYOD” defines the role of personally owned devices in the school environment. However, there is a misconception that BYOD is done as a cost-savings or in place of a school-owned device. In many successful implementations, BYOD is used as a supplement to a 1:1 program, or creates a situation where students can use the devices they’re most comfortable with (use my personal MacBook instead of my school Windows device) or already own (use my personal iPad instead of a school iPad).

Cell Phone Bans

It’s important to contextualize the changes that have occurred to the BYOD landscape in the fall of 2025. A 2023 Pew Research Center study showed that 95% of school students had smartphone access, including 79% of students aged 8 and under and that screen-on time clustered between three and six hours per day. Concerns have been growing over the past few years about the impact of these phones on student academic performance, mental health, attention, and development. Even simply having the phone has been shown to impact student performance. As a result, many states have started implementing bans to cell phones in schools for students. As of fall of 2025, 34 states have some type of statewide guidelines or a ban for cell phones during the instructional day. Some place the burden of enforcement on the school, and others on the teacher. Teachers report bans are hard to enforce.

Cell phone bans are uniquely newsworthy because they’ve enjoyed wide bipartisan political support and support from school leaders while also facing vocal objections from parent groups and students.

These bans take different forms. Some states are very prescriptive, requiring an outright ban on phones at school or a ban during the school day. Some like North Carolina’s ban, restrict use during instructional time and leave it to local school boards to develop a policy. Most bans go beyond phones and include wireless earbuds, smartwatches, laptops, and other devices. Many bans have exceptions for legitimate educational use and for medical devices, such as continuous glucose monitors. Implementation methods vary, each with their advantages and disadvantages:

• Yondr pouches keep devices locked up during the school day. These devices were originally created for concerns and are a pouch that phones can be placed in that locks by pushing a button and unlocks at a magnetic release station. These devices take the enforcement burden off of teachers for the implementation of the ban, but also have a significant cost (about $20 per unit) and can be defeated using tutorials online.
• Classroom pouches where students place their phones into a central area at the start of each class period and pick them up at the end. These are easy and cheap to implement and keep students from their devices, but places the burden for tens of thousands of dollars of equipment in the responsibility of the teacher.
• Bans where students are required to place their phones off and in their backpacks are the most common and the easiest to implement, but place extra administrative burden on the teachers for enforcement.

Early data on cell phone bans have suggested positive results. Anecdotally, principals, teachers, and students report increased engagement and socialization among students. Many school districts are seeing surges in library book circulation. Chatham County Schools in North Carolina ran a pilot with Yondr pouches for 2024-2025. Early data suggests a 30% reduction in student suspensions, along with a 76% reduction in failing grades at the end of the first semester. Ironically, some schools are also seeing a surge in students brining older electronic devices to school such as iPods and CD players. However, schools are also having to readjust policies since tools like digital hall passes that students carry on their phone are no longer viable.

Cell phone bans don’t typically preclude the use of BYOD in a school. However, any decisions about BYOD now need to be contextualized in state and local policy about cell phones in schools. For example, some still allow devices for educational purposes and others enforce an unconditional ban. Some allow laptops, some don’t. These need to be considered in a BYOD rollout as well as the incongruities between allowing students to bring laptops but not cell phones.

BYOD Policies

It’s important to differentiate between BYOD and guest access. Critics of BYOD cite potential equity issues, especially in situations where BYOD is used in lieu of a school-issued technology program. That’s why BYOD should only be a part of a larger digital strategy, and not a sole solution. A BYOD program should be well-defined: students are told the types of devices they can bring, the software that must be loaded on it, and any accessories they may need to have (see the NC State BYOD Requirements as an example). Another example: several BYOD schools that allow students to bring any device to school they want, so long as that device is a late-model iPad with an external keyboard. A well defined BYOD program mitigates some of the equity issues that may occur with one student bringing a more powerful laptop than the school requires - since students are all using similar tools, the “cooler” device provides no functional benefit over the school issued device (this takes work).

By contrast, guest access refers simply to allowing personally owned devices to connect to the school network.

BYOD, guest access, and 1:1 programs can all be combined to create your school’s device strategy.

Types of Guest Access Programs

• No Guest Access/No Active Device Initiative
  • In this setup, students/staff are not allowed to connect personally-owned devices to the school network. A BYOD or 1:1 initiative is not in place.
• Guest Access Permitted, No Active Device Initiative
  • The school allows teachers and students to bring and connect devices to the school wi-fi network. Devices are used for minimal instructional tasks, personal use, or enhancement activities.
• Active Device Initiative/No Guest Access
  • The school has an active device program such as a 1:1 or BYOD initiative. Devices outside of these programs are not allowed to connect to the school network.
• Active Device Initiative/Guest Access Permitted
  • The school has an active 1:1 or BYOD program in place. In addition, the school also allows other devices outside the scope of the program to connect to the school network.

BYOD

Bring Your Own Device programs are done in lieu of (or in addition to) a 1:1 device program. Both 1:1 and BYOD create an environment where the use of technology is essential to the daily operations of the classroom and are used to redefine classroom instruction. In a BYOD environment, schools place a series of standards on which devices are considered eligible for the initiative (based on many factors, including platform and app compatibility, wireless standards, screen size, etc.).

Types of BYOD Programs

• No BYOD or 1:1 Program
  • The school may allow guest access, but does not provide a device to students/staff, and does not have a formalized device initiative and does not depend on device usage for instructional practice.
• BYOD Program
  • The school has established standards for devices and students/staff are allowed to bring and use devices that meet the standards for instruction. Students bringing and having devices becomes essential to daily instruction.
• 1:1 Program without a BYOD component
  • Schools provide devices to all students and staff. Students/staff are required to use the school-provided device in instructional practice. The school may still allow guest access.
• Hybrid BYOD and 1:1 Program
  • The school provides a device to all students and staff. However, the school has also created standards for devices that students/staff may bring and use in lieu of the school-owned device for instructional purposes.

Policy Considerations for a BYOD Environment

BYOD requires a policy. The following questions are helpful in defining the policy:

• Planning Questions:
  • What is the purpose of the BYOD program?
  • What are the instructional shifts that will occur in the BYOD classroom?
  • Where will digital content be generated? Stored? Accessed?
  • Are teachers using enough platform-agnostic tools to allow for a successful BYOD implementation, or are your BYOD policies detailed enough that students will be able to use school apps on their devices?
  • How will teachers address varying device types and capabilities.
  • How will teachers address the fact that some students will not be bringing devices to school?
  • How will teachers address classroom management in a BYOD situation?
  • Will the school have any programs in place to help students get devices if they don’t already have them?
• Device Questions:
  • What defines a “device” for the purposes of your program?
  • What devices are allowed to connect to your network? What devices are acceptable for classroom use? (Considerations: minimum screen size, physical keyboard, wi-fi standards)
  • How many different devices can a student connect to the network? Are students limited to a single device?
  • What capabilities must a device have in order for it to be considered acceptable for use under your BYOD program? (Considerations: Compatibility with your LMS, must run certain apps)
  • Is there any software that must be purchased for a student to use a device in class? (Are you going to require use of Microsoft Office, for example)
  • Where and when are students able to use BYOD devices?
• Logistical Questions:
  • Are you going to keep a list of students who are bringing devices? Will the school keep an inventory of BYOD devices (useful if a device and owner need to be reunited)?
  • How will students authenticate to the network? Will students have to authenticate again to access the web filter? Will web filtering data be able to be tracked back to a student device?
  • What is the school’s responsibility for protecting student devices? What is the procedure a school will follow if a device is lost, stolen, intentionally damaged, or accidentally damaged?
  • Can students leave devices in their lockers overnight?
  • Is there a procedure for when substitutes are in the classroom, students are at lunch, etc.?
  • What is the procedure when a student misuses a device? (Recommendation: Consider NOT revoking device privileges - focus on the offense and not the tool)
  • Are students going to be allowed to print using their devices?
  • Where will students store content?
• Technical Support
  • What level of technical support will the school be providing? Will you be assisting students with getting connected to the network? Installing/using apps?
  • What is the procedure if a student who typically is bringing a device forgets or if their device stops working during class?
  • Are you going to be actively monitoring network usage to look at unusual trends?
  • Are web logs being reviewed?
  • What is your anti-virus policy? Will personally owned devices be required to run a specific anti-virus or anti-malware software? How will devices be certified?
  • Can devices be banned from the network if they’re causing too much or harmful network traffic?