WhatsApp is rolling out new tools to help parents guide how their children can use the app. Parents can control access to Meta AI and channels, and receive notifications about group activity. Personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted regardless of whether parental controls are active.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Parental controls for teens |
| Status: | Rolling out |
| Availability info: | This feature is available to some users, and it is rolling out to more people over the coming weeks. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp is working on moving channels to the Chats tab on iOS! |
WhatsApp already introduced parental controls for iOS and Android
In the post about the WhatsApp for iOS 26.30.77 update, we announced a new section for parental controls. This page makes it easier for parents to discover and set up oversight for their teen's account. In this screen, WhatsApp asks parents to link their account to the teen's device by scanning a QR code. They also need to enter the teen's date of birth to help WhatsApp manage the account based on their age. WhatsApp also uses the birth date to remove the parental controls automatically when the teen turns 18.
WhatsApp officially announces new parental controls for teens
Today, WhatsApp published a blog post where it announced new features to help parents manage their teen accounts. WhatsApp worked on this new set for several months before making it available today. Parents and teens can set them up together, and parents can adjust or remove them at any time. With this feature, WhatsApp allows families to benefit from the tools they need without turning the app into a surveillance tool.
What parents can control on their teen's account
With Parental controls, parents can manage many aspects of their teen experience. For example, parents can choose who can see the teen's profile photo and who can add them to groups. They can also decide how their teen interacts with Channels, and control what the teen sees and shares in status updates. For Meta AI, parents can choose between the default 13+ setting and a stricter option that reduces what the AI can discuss. Parents can manage these settings directly from the app settings.
How the PIN system works
Parents can choose a PIN when they configure this new feature. It prevents anyone from changing the settings without the parent's approval. Teens will have to ask their parents if they want to change privacy settings or adjust how channels work. This means that it is not possible to bypass the privacy controls manually without asking for approval.
What notifications parents receive
With this functionality, WhatsApp can also inform parents about their teen's group activity. Specifically, parents can receive a notification when their teen joins or leaves a group. WhatsApp also notifies parents when a group the teen is part of grows significantly in size. This may indicate that something significant changed within the group. Parents can also review an activity log where they can learn more about recent events. These tools help them review the account activity without accessing the teen's conversations.
Personal messages remain private for teen accounts
WhatsApp never gives parents access to the teen's private conversations. Since WhatsApp secures messages and calls with end-to-end encryption, it wouldn't even be possible. Only people in the conversation can read or hear them, not even WhatsApp or the parent can access them. The feature guides the teen's experience on the app, not the content of their messages. This helps parents guide their teen without accessing their private conversations.
WhatsApp is rolling out new parental controls on Android and iOS
This feature is available to some users on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS. WhatsApp is rolling them out gradually, so it may take some time before all users get access. Users can learn more about setting up parental controls for teens from the WhatsApp Help Center. Users should keep the app up to date to get the feature as soon as WhatsApp enables it on their account.
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