Popular messaging platform WhatsApp has introduced a new parent-supervised account system designed specifically for children under the age of 13. The feature aims to give parents greater control over how pre-teens use the messaging app while still allowing them to stay connected with family and friends.
The update was announced by WhatsApp’s parent company Meta as part of its broader effort to improve online safety for younger users.
Accounts Designed for Children Under 13
Although WhatsApp is officially rated 13+ on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, many younger users already use the app to communicate with their parents. According to Meta, the new parent-managed accounts were introduced after feedback from families who wanted safer ways for children to use the platform.
These supervised accounts will only allow messaging and calling, and they will not be targeted with advertisements.
How Parent-Linked Accounts Work
To create a pre-teen account, both the parent’s device and the child’s device must be present during setup. The account is verified through a QR code authentication process, ensuring that a parent or guardian approves the account.
Once the account is set up, parents can monitor activity through alerts and settings.
By default, parents receive notifications when a pre-teen:
- Adds, blocks, or reports a contact
- Receives new chat requests
- Joins, creates, or leaves a group
- Changes their profile name or profile picture
Parents can also enable additional alerts, such as notifications when a group enables disappearing messages or when a child deletes a chat or contact.
All parental settings are protected by a six-digit PIN, which parents can manage directly from their own device.
Restricted Features for Pre-Teen Accounts
To improve safety, several features available to regular users are disabled for supervised accounts. Pre-teens will not have access to:
- Meta AI features
- Channels
- Status updates
- Disappearing messages in one-on-one chats
Despite these limitations, WhatsApp confirmed that all chats and calls remain protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring that messages stay private.
Extra Safety for Unknown Contacts
The app is also introducing new tools to help children understand potential risks when communicating with unknown users.
When a pre-teen receives a message from someone not in their contacts, WhatsApp displays a context card showing useful details such as:
- Whether the contact shares any groups with them
- The country the contact is messaging from
Images sent by unknown contacts will also be blurred by default, and users can choose to silence calls from unknown numbers.
Growing Focus on Child Safety Online
The launch of parent-supervised accounts reflects increasing efforts by tech companies to make digital platforms safer for younger audiences.
By adding stronger parental controls and restricting certain features, WhatsApp hopes to give families a safer way to stay connected while protecting children from potential online risks.
