Certified and TAG Approved Kosher Phones

Devices that carry an outside approval, not just a promise on a product page.

There is no single authority for kosher phones the way there is for kosher food, which is exactly why the question of who approved a device is worth asking. This collection holds the handsets we carry that state an outside approval rather than only a manufacturer claim: TAG approved software on the Wonderphone, Vaad Hakehilos on the Bliss and the Beat by Fig, and the Ani Choma standard on the Fig Core Ani Choma. If your community, school or workplace named a body, this is the page to start on.

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What TAG Approval Means

TAG stands for Technology Awareness Group, a nonprofit founded by Ichud HaKehillos LeTohar HaMachane that runs dozens of offices worldwide. TAG installs and supports content filters, tests devices, and publishes guidance on which phones can be effectively locked down. Its own language is that devices are researched and approved by its technicians.

That is a narrower claim than people sometimes assume, and it is worth stating plainly. TAG approval tells you the device can be protected and has been reviewed. It is not a hechsher in the food sense and TAG does not describe itself as a certifying agency. The Wonderphone is the handset in our range whose listing states it is kosher and TAG approved out of the box.

Certified, Filtered and Browser Free Are Three Different Things

·        Filtered: A restriction is in place on the device. Something was removed or blocked. This says nothing about who checked it.

·        Browser free: The browser was never installed in the operating system, so there is no browser to filter, unlock or work around. Fig and Wonder build this way.

·        Certified or approved: An outside body has reviewed the device and put its name to it. Every certified phone is filtered, but plenty of filtered phones carry no outside approval at all.

·        Unfiltered and configurable: A standard carrier phone that we lock down ourselves at your instruction. Honest, common and cheaper, but with no external stamp. Those live in less restricted kosher phones.

Who Approves Kosher Phones

Several names circulate and they do different jobs, so here is the plain version.

TAG, the Technology Awareness Group, installs filters and approves devices as protectable. Vaad Hakehilos issues an approval seal for phones, MP3 players and cameras, and some rabbonim have asked their kehillos to buy only devices carrying it. Letaher of New Square is an approval body whose name appears on approved handsets and navigation devices. Ani Choma is a Lakewood-area standard for the strictest talk only tier. Separately, companies such as Meshimer, Netspark, GenTech and Techloq are filtering vendors, not approval bodies, even though their names appear in product listings alongside the approvers.

TAG's own Baltimore office makes the point better than we can: because the industry has no formal oversight, a merchant can design an official-looking emblem without anyone independent having verified anything. Ask who approved it, not whether it looks approved.

Approved Models in This Collection

·        Wonderphone, $400: Stated as kosher and TAG approved. Removable 2850 mAh battery, Waze, weather and zmanim, Android Auto compatible. Our top of the line.

·        Bliss, $139, or $99 with a carrier plan: Stated as under Vaad Hakehilos. Non-touch, 2000 mAh, no camera, Hebrew keyboard, talk only or talk and text.

·        Fusion, $159, or $99 with a carrier plan: Stated as fully kosher certified. Talk, text and Waze on a large touchscreen with a reinforced body.

·        Fig Core Ani Choma, $169: Built to the Ani Choma talk only standard: no camera, music limited to on-device recordings, blocked file transfer, and extended number blocking available for schools.

·        Beat by Fig, $159: Not a phone. A click-wheel music player stated as certified by Vaad HaKehilos Zach, with a secure operating system, no internet and no distractions.

Bringing a Phone to a TAG Office

If you already own a basic phone, TAG maintains a list of the models it can currently block, and its offices will install a filter on a compatible handset. That route works, and it is a good option for a phone you already like.

What it does not do is turn an unprotectable device into a protected one. If your handset is not on the blockable list, no office visit fixes that. This is the practical argument for buying a born kosher device instead: the Fig and Wonder handsets never had a browser to remove, so there is no filter to install, maintain or renew. Either way, we will tell you honestly which situation you are in before you spend money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a TAG approved phone the same as a certified kosher phone?

Not exactly. TAG is a filtering and device-approval organization and its own language is approved rather than certified. Separate bodies such as Vaad Hakehilos and Letaher issue approval seals. When a school or community names a specific body, buy to that name rather than to the general word certified.

Which phones do you sell that are TAG approved?

The Wonderphone at $400 is the one whose listing states kosher and TAG approved out of the box. Other handsets we carry may be filterable by a TAG office, which is a different thing from shipping approved. Confirm the specific model with your local TAG office.

What is Vaad Hakehilos?

Vaad Hakehilos issues an approval seal for technological devices including phones, MP3 players and cameras. Our Bliss phone states that it is under Vaad Hakehilos, and the Beat by Fig music player states certification by Vaad HaKehilos Zach.

Do I need a certified phone or is filtered enough?

That is a question for your rov, school or employer, not for a store. What we can do is tell you exactly what each device states and who stated it, so the decision is made on facts.

Can any kosher phone be added to the TAG list?

No. TAG's list covers phones it can currently block, and some models are pending or absent. If a handset is not protectable, an office visit will not change that.

Does an approval expire or need renewing?

Filter services installed on standard phones generally involve an ongoing subscription. Born kosher devices such as Fig and Wonder do not depend on a separate filter subscription, because the restriction is built into the operating system.

Are the Kyocera phones you sell certified?

No, and our product pages say so directly. Our Kyocera stock is refurbished and unfiltered, and we configure it to your level ourselves. Those are in less restricted kosher phones.

How do I check a certification claim myself?

Ask which body approved it and look that body up, rather than relying on a logo. TAG's Baltimore office warns that emblems can be designed by merchants without independent verification. We are happy to point you to your local TAG office.

Closing CTA

Need to match a specific standard? Call 848-226-1102, visit 209 2nd St in Lakewood, or use our contact form and tell us the name your school or rov gave you.