WhatsApp has introduced parent-managed accounts to enable parents and guardians to oversee the usage of the messaging platform by individuals under 13 years old. These accounts empower parents to set up and monitor a child’s WhatsApp activity through their own device. To activate this feature, parents need to link their phone with the child’s device during the setup process. Once linked, parents or guardians can control who contacts the account and which group chats the user can participate in, as stated in a recent WhatsApp blog.
Moreover, the system enables parents to review message requests from unknown contacts and regulate privacy settings related to the account. Any changes to these settings are safeguarded by a personal identification number controlled by the parent on the managed device. WhatsApp ensures that conversations on the platform remain secure with end-to-end encryption, ensuring that messages and calls are inaccessible to third parties, including WhatsApp itself.
WhatsApp has outlined that the rollout of parent-managed accounts will occur gradually in the upcoming months as part of its broader initiative to offer tools that empower families to supervise young users’ online communication while upholding privacy safeguards.