
To Dodge Phone Bans, Chinese Students Hide Them in Plain Sight
From water bottles and dictionaries to notebooks and mirrors, everyday school supplies in China are now doubling as secret phone compartments, helping students bypass strict classroom bans and fueling a booming market for “cheating gadgets.”
On e-commerce platforms, one of the top-selling gadgets is a water bottle with a hidden compartment, allowing students to drink from the top while stashing their phone at the bottom.
The opaque design makes it nearly impossible to detect. Other disguises include notebooks with hollowed-out pages, mirror cases, and power banks with concealed slots. These products are especially popular among primary and middle school students looking for ways to keep their phones in class despite school bans.
The surge in demand stems from China’s tightening restrictions on student smartphone use. In 2021, the Ministry of Education banned students from bringing phones to school unless they obtained parental consent and submitted a formal request. Even then, devices must be handed to teachers upon arrival and are strictly prohibited in classrooms.
The move follows growing concerns over smartphone addiction among students. By 2023, China had 196 million under-18 internet users, with a 97.3% penetration rate. Schools argue that excessive screen time harms focus, academic performance, and mental health, prompting stricter enforcement of phone bans.
As more students turn to hidden gadgets to bypass these rules, opposition to them is growing, and listings on Chinese e-commerce platforms openly market these devices as undetectable.
According to China Youth Daily, one seller describes a mirror hideaway as “safe and reliable, blocks metal detectors, and ships discreetly,” while a power bank storage case is advertised as “more discreet, requires no screws, works as a flashlight, and even charges your phone.”
In a commentary, state-backed Guangming Daily criticized the production and sale of such products, arguing that they encourage rule-breaking and undermine schools’ efforts to promote responsible smartphone use.
Yet, the market for these devices is thriving. A Sixth Tone search for “smartphone hiding gadget” on e-commerce platform Taobao yields hundreds of results, with some products selling more than 1,000 units per month.
For many students, sneaking phones into school feels more like a necessity than a violation. A junior at a Shanghai boarding school admitted to bringing his smartphone to school multiple times. He sees it as a way to unwind with short videos and mobile games while also accessing online study resources.
Liu Chenxu, a teacher at a boarding school in northern China’s Hebei province, sees it differently. “Teenagers lack self-discipline and need guidance from schools and teachers. Allowing phones in school not only disrupts focus in class but also keeps some boarding students up all night playing on their phones,” she told Sixth Tone.
“We were students once, and we totally understand the appeal of smartphones,” Liu said. “But over time, this could lead to a vicious cycle.”
She warned that without proper regulations, excessive phone use could disrupt classroom order. “While banning phones might inconvenience students to some extent, the intention behind the policy is good,” she said. “Moreover, the internet is filled with mixed information, and teenagers often lack the ability to discern what is appropriate, which can negatively impact the development of their values.”
Liu also criticized merchants profiting from the demand for hidden phone gadgets. “I think this behavior violates the public interest. It also teaches students to deceive their teachers and schools,” she said.
“My concern is whether honest children might be misled by these products and the businesses promoting them. If students truly need to use phones, they should discuss it with their teachers instead of resorting to dishonest means.”
Editor: Apurva.
(Header image: VCG)