WhatsApp Working on Secondary Accounts to Help Parents Manage Children’s Messaging

New Delhi: Taking a cue from platforms like Facebook and YouTube, WhatsApp is now building parental controls aimed at managing children’s texting habits. According to WABetaInfo, the company has started rolling out parent‑managed accounts, a new tool that gives parents oversight of certain account activities without letting them read private messages. 

The new feature, called Parent‑managed accounts, is being introduced gradually on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS. It allows parents to link their own account to a child’s secondary account through a secure setup that verifies the relationship. Once connected, parents can receive alerts about account‑level changes such as new contacts being added, profile edits, or blocked users. 

This system is designed to give parents visibility without invading privacy. Children can still use WhatsApp’s core features like messaging, calls, and media sharing, but some functions like channels and status updates are restricted for younger users. Messages from unknown contacts are placed in a separate “Requests” inbox, which parents can review and approve before the child interacts. Importantly, end‑to‑end encryption remains intact, meaning parents cannot read the actual conversations. 

Safety and Control 

Parents have the option to unlink or remove a child’s account at any time, giving them full control over the connection. Families with multiple children can create separate secondary accounts for each child, all linked to the same parent account for easier management. WhatsApp has also published detailed guides for Android and iOS users to explain how to set up and manage these accounts safely. 

The system works alongside existing safety tools such as contact blocking and reporting. Children are notified that their account is linked, so they understand what information is shared with their parent. This transparency is intended to balance safety with trust. 

Rollout and Context 

Currently, parent‑managed accounts are available to a limited number of users and will expand gradually. WhatsApp says it will continue refining the system based on feedback, aiming to strike the right balance between child safety and privacy protections. 

This update follows other recent developments from WhatsApp. In earlier beta versions, the company tested higher‑tier subscription plans for Meta AI integration and introduced primary controls for secondary accounts. These updates show WhatsApp’s broader push to add new layers of safety and functionality while keeping its platform competitive. 

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