WhatsApp adds optional parental controls for teen accounts

WhatsApp is adding optional parental controls that teens and parents can set up together. Parents can choose who sees a teen’s profile photo, limit who can add them to groups, and require a parent-set PIN before certain settings can be loosened.

The controls also add group activity alerts. Parents can be notified when a teen joins or leaves a group, or when a group the teen is in grows meaningfully in size. WhatsApp has not shared a number for what counts as meaningful growth.

Parents can set limits on more features

Parents can choose how their teen uses Channels, whose Status updates the teen can see, and who can view the teen’s Status. They can also pick between Meta AI’s default 13+ experience and a stricter Limited Content option.

These are controls for teen accounts, not a new account type. WhatsApp already offers parent-managed accounts for younger children, which parents can set up with both phones.

Messages remain private

Parents do not get access to a teen’s conversations or calls. WhatsApp says personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted, even when parental controls are on. Families can adjust or turn the controls off at any time.

WhatsApp has not named a rollout date or the first supported regions. The company says it will build the controls step by step, so availability may vary while the feature rolls out. Read the details in WhatsApp’s announcement.