Messaging platform WhatsApp has announced a new feature called parent-managed accounts, designed to give parents and guardians greater oversight of how younger users interact with the app.
The feature allows families to set up WhatsApp accounts for pre-teens while limiting the experience primarily to messaging and voice calling. The new system is intended for children under the age of 13 or below the minimum age required to use WhatsApp in certain regions.
How Parent-Managed Accounts Work
According to the company, these accounts must be created and supervised by a parent or guardian who is at least 18 years old.
During the setup process, parents are required to place their own smartphone next to the child’s device so the two accounts can be linked securely. Once connected, the parent’s device becomes the control hub for managing the child’s account.
Through this system, parents can decide who is allowed to contact the child, as well as which groups the account can join.
Additional Parental Controls
The feature also introduces several monitoring tools intended to provide families with more control over the platform.
Parents will be able to:
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Review message requests from unknown contacts
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Manage privacy settings
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Control which groups the child can participate in
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Adjust communication permissions
Access to these controls will be protected by a parent PIN, ensuring that only the parent or guardian can change privacy or safety settings.
Privacy and Encryption Remain Intact
Despite the added parental oversight, WhatsApp says the platform’s core privacy protections will remain unchanged.
“All personal conversations remain private and protected with end-to-end encryption, meaning no one—not even WhatsApp—can see or hear them,” the company said in a blog post.
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, preventing access by the platform itself or third parties.
Focus on Safer Digital Experiences
The introduction of parent-managed accounts reflects growing global attention on children’s online safety and responsible digital use.
Technology companies have increasingly introduced tools aimed at helping parents guide how younger users interact with social media and messaging platforms.
By introducing supervised accounts, WhatsApp aims to offer families a structured way to allow children to communicate with friends and relatives while maintaining parental oversight.