Meta has introduced parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp, allowing children under 13 to use the messaging platform with enhanced safety controls. These accounts enable parents or guardians to restrict who can contact their children and limit access to features like Channels, location sharing, and Meta AI integration. The accounts are designed for messaging and calling only, with additional safeguards built in.

To set up these accounts, parents must link their device to their child's by placing the phones next to each other. Once connected, parents can control who contacts their child and approve group memberships. Parent-managed accounts are PIN-protected, and only the parent can adjust privacy settings. By default, only saved contacts can message the child, and unknown contact requests appear to parents first for approval.

Like all WhatsApp conversations, these accounts maintain end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the sender and recipient can read messages. Meta plans to roll out these features gradually in the coming months, though no specific minimum age requirement has been announced. This move follows Meta's broader push for parental controls across its platforms, including teen accounts on Instagram and Facebook Messenger introduced in recent years.