According to new research from EE, some teens are using disappearing chats, hidden apps and coded emoji language to stay one step ahead of their parents’ digital restrictions.

The study of 2,000 UK parents and 2,000 children aged 11–17 found 46 per cent of teens believe they can bypass parental monitoring, while 30 per cent say their parents have “no idea” what they get up to online.

Although one in five parents use dedicated parental control apps and a quarter regularly check their child’s phone, 80 per cent admit they don’t think their kids tell them everything.

EE’s findings highlight a growing digital divide between parents and increasingly tech-savvy teens.

Many young people reported using disguised calculator apps, fake folders with names like “Maths Homework,” secondary phone profiles, or vanishing-message platforms to keep activities private.

Some even described methods for disabling screen-time limits or exploiting biometric unlock tools.

Coded communication is also on the rise, as teens say emojis have become a language of their own - sometimes for harmless fun, but increasingly to hide conversations or reference mature topics.

Symbols like cherries, a wilted flower, ghost, blue cap, or even a red-and-yellow pill can carry meanings parents don’t recognize.

Yet despite their evasive tactics, 37 per cent of children agree phone confiscation is fair if they break agreed rules, and nearly a third say being more honest about their online lives would reduce family arguments.

Kelly Engstrom, EE’s Brand and Marketing Communications Director, said the goal isn’t surveillance but support.

She said in a statement: “This isn’t about catching children out … it’s about giving parents the knowledge to guide them safely through the online world.”

To help, EE has launched The P.H.O.N.E. Chat - a free guide with conversation tips and a downloadable parent-child contract - alongside new Safer SIM plans for under-18s and in-store online safety sessions developed with Internet Matters and EE’s Youth Council.