WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls designed to give parents more options to manage how teenagers use the messaging platform while keeping their private conversations protected.
The new tools are optional and can be set up by parents and teenagers together. WhatsApp gives families more control over online safety without allowing parents to read private messages.
Parents will be able to manage some of their teenager’s privacy settings.
If a teenager wants to make protected settings less restrictive, approval will be required through a PIN set by the parent.
Parents can receive activity alerts
The new system allows parents to receive notifications about certain activities on their teenager’s account.
Parents can be informed when their teenager creates or joins a group. They can also receive updates about groups made. Other alerts can include changes to account details or the addition of a new contact.
Parents can also manage how their teenagers use WhatsApp Channels and Status.
Additionally, parents can allow access to all channels, limit teenagers to parent-approved channels or block access to channels completely. They can also control whether their teenager is allowed to create a channel.
Status controls allow parents to manage whose updates their teenager can see and who can view the teenager’s Status posts.
Meta AI can also be restricted
WhatsApp is also giving parents control over their teenager’s experience with Meta AI.
Parents can choose between the standard setting, designed around content suitable for users aged 13 and above.
However, the parental controls do not give parents access to their teenager’s private conversations.
WhatsApp says personal messages and calls will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption. Parents cannot read messages or listen to calls, and WhatsApp itself cannot access the content of encrypted conversations.
The company says the controls are being introduced gradually, and may not immediately be available to every user or in every region.
WhatsApp had already introduced accounts for pre-teens managed by parents earlier in 2026. Those accounts provide additional safeguards, including controls over contacts, message requests, groups and account activity.