Meta is introducing a new way for children under 13 to use WhatsApp—but with parents firmly in control.
The company has unveiled parent-managed WhatsApp accounts, a new feature designed to allow younger users to access messaging and calls while parents oversee privacy settings, approve unknown contacts, and control key features.
The rollout will begin gradually over the coming months for users running the latest version of WhatsApp on iPhone and Android devices.
The move signals a major shift in how one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms approaches children’s access and digital safety.
What Parent-Managed WhatsApp Accounts Mean
The new system essentially creates a restricted version of WhatsApp designed specifically for children.
Under this model:
- The child gets a real WhatsApp account
- The account is directly linked to a parent’s WhatsApp
- Parents control privacy settings through a six-digit PIN
- Message requests from unknown contacts require parent approval
Parents will also receive notifications whenever someone outside the child’s saved contacts attempts to message them.
Importantly, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption remains intact, meaning messages cannot be read by anyone else—including Meta.
What Kids Can and Cannot Do on WhatsApp
Available Features
Children using parent-managed accounts can:
- Send and receive messages
- Make and receive calls
- Chat with saved contacts only by default
Restricted Features
To reduce risks, several WhatsApp tools are disabled by default, including:
- Meta AI integration
- Channels
- Location sharing
- Status updates
- Disappearing messages in private chats
- Joining groups without parent approval
Any group invitation or message request from unknown contacts will first appear on the parent’s device.
How Parents Set Up a Managed Account
The setup process requires both the child’s phone and the parent’s phone.
On the Child’s Device
- Download WhatsApp from the App Store or Google Play
- Tap Agree and continue
- Select Create a parent-managed account
- Verify the child’s phone number
- Enter the child’s birthday and confirm their age
- Choose Continue to link to a parent’s account
On the Parent’s Device
- Scan the QR code on the child’s phone
- Tap Agree and continue
- Verify you are an adult
- Create a six-digit parent PIN
- Confirm the PIN and finish setup
Once linked, the parent PIN becomes the only way to modify privacy or safety settings.
Why Meta Is Introducing This Now
The new feature comes as Meta faces growing regulatory pressure worldwide over children’s online safety.
Governments and advocacy groups have increasingly pushed tech companies to introduce stronger protections for minors using digital platforms.
Earlier this year, Meta also paused teenagers’ access to some AI chatbot characters after concerns about inappropriate conversations involving minors.
The company has already introduced similar parental oversight tools across its ecosystem, including:
- Teen accounts on Instagram
- Youth protections on Facebook
- Parental controls for Messenger users aged 13 to 15
Meta has argued that supervised access is safer than banning children outright, and the new WhatsApp feature reflects that approach.
What This Means for Messaging Platforms
Opening WhatsApp to younger users—while maintaining parental oversight—could reshape how messaging apps balance growth with safety regulations.
For parents, it offers a middle ground between banning messaging apps and allowing unrestricted access.
For Meta, it is also a strategic move to ensure that the next generation of users enters its ecosystem safely while regulators intensify scrutiny of youth digital safety
