WhatsApp has introduced a new set of parental controls that gives parents more oversight of how teenagers use the messaging platform, while keeping private conversations protected.
The new controls are aimed at families who want some additional supervision as teenagers become more independent online.
Rather than giving parents access to the content of their children's conversations, WhatsApp is focusing on account settings, group activity, privacy choices, and selected features such as Channels, Status, and Meta AI.
This feature is designed for children under 13 and lets parents link a child's account to their own phone to supervise activity, manage contacts, and lock down privacy settings with a parent PIN.
What Parental Controls Actually Do?
All personal messages and calls remain completely private and encrypted, meaning no one outside the chat, not even WhatsApp or parents, can view or hear them.
Parents can control who sees their child's profile photo, who can add them to group chats, and lock these changes with a parent-set PIN.
Messages from unknown contacts go into a separate 'Requests' inbox that parents can review or handle.
Parents can set restrictions on Meta AI usage, Channels and Status updates.
Parents receive notifications regarding account activity, such as changes to group sizes.
How To Set Up A Parent-Managed Account
Setting up a WhatsApp Parent-Managed Account requires having both the parent and child devices side by side with a new or completely reset WhatsApp application on the child's device.
On the child's device, open the app, choose to create a parent-managed account from the menu, enter the child's phone number and date of birth, and generate a unique QR code.
Then link the configuration by scanning the QR code in the parent's device settings, confirming adult status, and setting a secure six-digit Parent PIN.
Finally, enter the Parent PIN on the child's device and complete the profile details to activate the safety settings instantly.
Alternative Solutions
Alternative solutions are available if the primary Under-13 management option is unavailable or the user is older.
Manual Privacy Lockdown
If built-in parental linking tools are unavailable in a specific region, manually configuring a standard account provides immediate protection.
Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Groups and switch the selection to My Contacts.
This configuration blocks strangers from adding the account to unauthorised or large public group chats.
Adjust Last Seen and Online, Profile Photo, About and Status exclusively to My Contacts or Nobody.
These adjustments hide personal data from unapproved phone numbers.
Go to Settings > Privacy > Calls and turn on Silence Unknown Callers to filter out spam or unsolicited voice attempts.
Operating System
Parents use native device-level ecosystems to manage application usage.
Apple Screen Time (iOS)
Restricts the ability to download or delete applications, sets daily usage limits for WhatsApp, and schedules downtime periods during school hours or at night.
Google Family Link (Android)
Monitors application screen time, blocks app access instantly, approves or denies downloads from the Google Play Store, and tracks device location.
Third-Party Monitoring Software
For parents seeking content-level monitoring beyond native restrictions, third-party software provides deeper integration.
External platforms like AirDroid Parental Control or Boomerang Parental Control install directly onto the device.
These utilities track overall screen time, capture automated screenshots, and scan incoming text patterns to deliver real-time triggers for flagged keywords or suspicious interactions.
