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Technology
WhatsApp Introduces Parental Controls for Teen Users, Chats Remain Private
✍️ indiatoday.in
🗓 02 Oct 2026, 09:16 AM
👁 13
WhatsApp has rolled out new parental control features that let parents set usage limits for teenage accounts, but the messages stay encrypted and unreadable to them.
WhatsApp announced the launch of a set of parental‑control tools aimed at users aged 13 to 17. The features, which are being rolled out globally, allow a parent or guardian to create a supervised account for a teen and manage certain aspects of its usage.
The controls include the ability to set daily or weekly time limits, schedule offline periods, and receive activity summaries such as the number of messages sent or groups joined. Parents can also restrict who the teen can communicate with by limiting contacts to an approved list.
Despite these management options, WhatsApp reiterates that end‑to‑end encryption remains intact. The company stresses that while parents can monitor usage metrics, they cannot view the content of messages, calls or media shared on the teen’s account.
The new tools are being introduced as part of WhatsApp’s broader effort to address safety concerns among younger users. The feature set will be available through the app’s settings menu later this month, with a phased rollout across Android and iOS devices.
The controls include the ability to set daily or weekly time limits, schedule offline periods, and receive activity summaries such as the number of messages sent or groups joined. Parents can also restrict who the teen can communicate with by limiting contacts to an approved list.
Despite these management options, WhatsApp reiterates that end‑to‑end encryption remains intact. The company stresses that while parents can monitor usage metrics, they cannot view the content of messages, calls or media shared on the teen’s account.
The new tools are being introduced as part of WhatsApp’s broader effort to address safety concerns among younger users. The feature set will be available through the app’s settings menu later this month, with a phased rollout across Android and iOS devices.