WhatsApp has announced a new parental-control feature to help adults monitor how younger users interact on the platform. The tool allows parents or guardians to adjust communication settings and restrict certain options so that pre-teens primarily use the app for messaging and calls.
According to the company, the parent-managed accounts will be introduced in stages over the coming months. The initiative was developed after consultations with families and safety experts, with the goal of providing a more regulated experience for children below the age of 13.
WhatsApp said its newly introduced parent-managed accounts are tailored specifically for children below the age of 13. According to the Meta-owned messaging platform, these accounts are set up and overseen by a parent or guardian and remain connected to the adult's own WhatsApp profile, as outlined in a company blog post.
“To begin, parents will need the phone they have bought for their family member and their own device, side by side to link their accounts. Once set up, these accounts are controlled by the parent or guardian who will be able to decide who can contact the account and which groups they can join. In addition, parents can review message requests from unknown contacts and manage the account's privacy settings,” WhatsApp said.
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“The new parental controls and settings are gated by a parent PIN on the managed device. Only parents can access and change privacy settings, ensuring they are empowered to tailor their family's experience,” it added.
Some features available on the main platform will not be accessible through parent-managed accounts. Meta said the accounts will not support Status updates, Channels or its Meta AI tools, while disappearing messages will also be unavailable in one-to-one chats.
WhatsApp said that even with the added restrictions, the accounts will retain the platform's standard end-to-end encryption, ensuring messages remain confidential.
WhatsApp said guardians can establish a parent-managed account for their child while registering for the service. During the sign-up process, they will be given the choice to create such an account by entering the child's date of birth. The company added that both devices (the parents' and the child's) must be used during the setup so that the accounts can be connected.
As part of the process, parents must verify that they are adults, which may involve submitting a selfie for identity confirmation. After the setup is completed, the child's account can be supervised through a range of parental control and privacy settings.
According to the company, the rollout will begin in a limited number of markets and will expand gradually in the months ahead.
The launch of a parent-controlled account option for younger users on WhatsApp comes amid growing global scrutiny over children's use of social media. Several governments are weighing restrictions on platforms for those under 16. Australia has already become the first nation to impose such a ban, while others, including India, are exploring similar measures to regulate minors' online activity.
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