A kid using WhatsApp in mobile
New Delhi: Meta-owned WhatsApp has unveiled a new “parent-managed” account model, effectively opening the messaging platform to pre-teens (children under the age of 13) under strict guardian oversight.
The move marks a strategic shift for the messaging app, which has historically maintained a minimum age requirement of 13 (or higher in some regions).
“With input from families and experts, we’re rolling out new parent-managed accounts that allow parents or guardians to set up WhatsApp for pre-teens, with new controls to limit their WhatsApp experience to messaging and calling,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.
WhatsApp said that while parents can control the contact list, the content of the messages will remain protected by end-to-end encryption.
The new parental controls and settings will be gated by a parent PIN on the managed device, and only parents will be able to access and change privacy settings.
The feature is currently being rolled out in phases.
This post was last modified on March 12, 2026 4:15 pm