Does WhatsApp Have Parental Controls?

Although only around one quarter of US teens report using WhatsApp, that number is up nearly 7% in just three years, making it one of the fastest growing platforms among 13- to 17-year-olds.

If your child is one of the many teens flocking to the app, you might be wondering if there are parental controls on WhatsApp. Let’s take a look. 

Does WhatsApp have parental controls?

After much anticipation and rumors, WhatsApp has finally released parental controls for users under 13. Through parent-managed accounts, you can: 

• Decide who your child can message and who can contact your child. 
• Control which chat groups your child is allowed to join. 
• Review message requests from unknown contacts.
• View and manage your child’s account privacy settings.
• Receive alerts when your child is invited to a group chat, or when their existing group adds more people. 
• Block or report a contact, group chat, community, message, or image. How to set up WhatsApp parental controls 

Parent-managed accounts also have additional safety measures in place. These accounts are focused on messaging and calling, which means your child won’t have access to these features:

• Meta AI
• Channels
• Status
• Chat Lock
• App Lock
• Linked devices
• Location sharing
• View once messages
• Disappearing messages in individual chats

How to set up parental controls on WhatsApp

Parental controls on WhatsApp are handled through parent-managed accounts. Parent-managed accounts are a new feature and still rolling out, so you may not have access to them yet.  

At the time of writing, parent-managed accounts are only for new accounts. If your child already uses WhatsApp, there’s currently no option to convert it to a parent-managed account. 

Here’s how to set up parental controls: 

Step 1: Create a parent-managed account for your child

• Download WhatsApp onto your child’s device from the App Store or the Google Play Store.
• Choose a language. Tap Agree and continue.
• Tap More options and select Create a parent-managed account.
• Register and verify your child’s phone number.
• Enter your child’s birthday and confirm their age.
• Tap Continue to link to a parent’s account.

Step 2: Link your child’s new account to your device

• Scan the QR code displayed on your child’s device with your phone's camera.
• Tap the link to be taken to WhatsApp. If you don’t already have an existing WhatsApp account, you’ll be asked to download it from the App Store.
• Tap Agree and continue.
• Verify you’re an adult.
• Create a 6-digit parent PIN. This PIN is required to access and make changes to your child’s privacy settings and should not be shared with your child.
• Confirm your parent PIN.
• Tap Next.
• Tap Done.

Step 3: Finish setting up your child’s account 

• Enter your parent PIN.
• Tap Continue.
• Adjust the parental control settings on your child’s account. 

Does WhatsApp have age verification? 

WhatsApp is officially available for users over 13. However, the only age verification on the platform is a user-provided date of birth, meaning it’s extremely easy for younger kids to bypass this and open an account anyway. 

Are there parental controls on WhatsApp for kids over 13? 

Parent-controlled accounts are only for users under 13. Once a child turns 13, their account converts to one they control. 

For kids over 13, or who already have an existing WhatsApp account, here are some privacy settings you can encourage them to use to help them stay safe on the app: 

• Turn off visible public information
• Silence calls from unknown numbers
• Turn off disappearing messages
• Limit who can add them to groups 
• Limit who can feature your child’s profile image in their stickers

How BrightCanary fills in the gaps

While WhatsApp’s new parental controls are great, they don’t allow you to monitor your child’s messages, which is important for online safety — particularly for young children and tweens. 

BrightCanary monitors everything your child types on their device, across all apps and platforms. This means you get insight into their WhatsApp chats, including disappearing messages. With BrightCanary, you get: 

• AI-powered summaries.
• Access to full transcripts anytime.
• Real-time alerts when the system detects a concern. 
• Emotional insights informed by guidelines from the American Psychological Association (APA).

In short: Does WhatsApp have parental controls? 

WhatsApp’s new parental controls for children under 13 allow you to do things such as control who can message your child and review message requests from unknown numbers. However, it doesn’t allow you to monitor your child’s messages. For the safest way to let your child use the app, layer a parent-managed WhatsApp account with BrightCanary.  

BrightCanary monitors everything your child types on the apps they use the most, including WhatsApp. Download today to get started for free.