WhatsApp rolls out parent-managed accounts for pre-teens

WhatsApp has started rolling out parent-managed accounts for pre-teens, giving parents and guardians more control over who can contact younger users and which groups they can join. The new account type is designed for children under 13 and limits the app to core messaging and calling features, while keeping chats and calls end-to-end encrypted.

The move gives WhatsApp a new answer to a long-running problem. Many families already let younger children use the app to stay in touch, even though messaging platforms face growing pressure over child safety and age-appropriate design. Meta says the new accounts were built with input from families and experts and are meant to create a narrower, more controlled experience for this age group.

For parents, the biggest change is direct supervision. A parent or guardian can decide message and group settings, receive activity alerts, and lock key controls behind a parent-only PIN. At the same time, WhatsApp says personal conversations stay private, which means parents cannot read chats or listen to calls just because the account is managed.

What parent-managed accounts include

Source: WhatsApp official announcement and Reuters reporting.

How setup works

WhatsApp says setup requires both the parent’s and child’s devices to be present at the same time. The parent must register and verify the child’s phone number, confirm the child’s age, and scan a QR code on the child’s device to link the accounts. The parent can then create a six-digit PIN that protects access to message requests, privacy settings, and activity alerts.

That process matters because Meta is trying to stop younger users from simply toggling off restrictions on their own. According to WhatsApp, only parents can change the main safety and communication settings on the managed device.

What parents can control

• Who can contact the child
• Which groups the child can join
• Message requests from unknown contacts
• Privacy settings on the managed account
• Activity alerts tied to new requests, contacts, and group changes

WhatsApp says children with managed accounts can only exchange messages by default with people already saved in their contacts, and only parents can add the account to groups. When an unknown person tries to contact the child, WhatsApp will show a context card with extra details, including whether that person shares any groups with the child and the country they appear to be contacting from.

Why Meta is doing this now

This rollout fits a wider push by Meta to add more age-based protections across its apps. The company expanded Teen Accounts on Facebook and Messenger in 2025 after first launching similar protections on Instagram. WhatsApp is different from those social platforms, but it still faces the same broader pressure from families, regulators, and governments over how children use online services.

Reuters noted that the feature arrives amid growing concern in several countries about children’s online safety and mental health. That larger backdrop helps explain why Meta is building more restricted experiences for younger users instead of treating every account the same.

What happens when a child turns 13

WhatsApp says a managed account can move to a standard WhatsApp account when the child turns 13. At that point, the user can gain access to the regular feature set without parental controls.

Quick summary

• WhatsApp parent-managed accounts are for pre-teens under 13.
• They support messaging and calling, but not Meta AI, Channels, Status, or location sharing.
• Parents control key settings and protect them with a PIN.
• Chats and calls remain end-to-end encrypted and private.
• The feature is part of Meta’s wider youth-safety push across its apps.

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