WhatsApp Adds New Parental Controls for Teen Accounts

WhatsApp is introducing new parental controls that allow guardians to manage how teens interact on the platform, including group settings, Status visibility, and Meta AI content preferences.

The new tools are designed to give parents more oversight of teen accounts while keeping WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption protections for messages and calls.

New Controls for Teen Accounts

Parents can control who can add teens to groups, who can view their Status updates, and who can see profile pictures. Guardians can also limit how teens use channels and receive notifications when certain account activities occur.

Notifications can be triggered when a teen joins a new group, leaves a group, or when a group reaches 30, 100, or 250 members.

A parent-created PIN protects the settings, so teens cannot change the controls without approval. Parents can also turn off the controls if they choose.

Meta AI Content Settings

WhatsApp is also adding content controls for Meta AI conversations. Parents can select the standard 13+ setting or choose a stricter “Limited Content” option that turns off features such as incognito chats and message summaries.

WhatsApp said these parental controls do not change the privacy of personal conversations, and messages and calls remain protected by end-to-end encryption.

Growing Focus on Teen Safety

The new features come as Meta continues expanding safety tools across its platforms following legal challenges and regulatory pressure related to children’s online experiences.

The company has introduced additional youth safety measures across its services, including parental controls for AI interactions, content restrictions, and alerts related to potentially harmful searches.