WhatsApp has launched parent-supervised accounts for users under 13, offering a controlled messaging and calling environment with no ads, as the platform used by over 3 billion people worldwide considers safety measures for younger users.
The new feature introduces a supervised environment for pre-teens, allowing parents to oversee their activities on the platform. The move comes as several countries, including Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the U.K., consider banning social media access for users under a certain age.
To set up a parent-supervised account, parents must use both their device and the pre-teen’s device to authenticate via QR code. They can then configure alerts for the managed account’s activities, which include notifications when pre-teens add, block, or report a contact. Additional optional activity alerts cover changes to the pre-teen’s name or profile picture, new chat requests, joining or leaving a group, and deleting a chat or contact. All settings are protected by a six-digit PIN set by the parents.
According to WhatsApp, parent-managed accounts are designed to provide additional control over settings and communications for pre-teens. “We’ve heard from parents, who have bought mobile phones for their pre-teens, that they want to message them on WhatsApp,” the company stated.
Managed accounts have limited features, with no access to Meta AI, Channels, or Status, and the inability to enable disappearing messages for 1:1 chats. All chats and calls remain end-to-end encrypted and private. Pre-teens receive a context card for messages from unknown contacts, showing common groups and the sender’s country, and can silence calls from unknown numbers. Images from unknown contacts are blurred by default.
Chat requests from unknown users are directed to a separate folder locked behind the parent PIN. Group invite links are also secured behind the PIN, allowing parents to view group information before accepting. As pre-teens age, they receive a notification that their account can be converted to a standard account; parents can delay this transition by 12 months.
The rollout of parent-supervised accounts begins in select geographies and will expand over the next few months. This move follows Meta’s previous introduction of controls and accounts for teen safety on Instagram and Facebook.
