WhatsApp has announced that pre-teens can now use the messaging platform through new parent-managed accounts with certain restrictions. Here are the details.

Parent-Managed WhatsApp Accounts for Pre-Teens Now Live

If you are a parent or guardian of a pre-teen, WhatsApp says you can now set up an account for that child. Pre-teen accounts come with special restrictions and controls for parents.

From WhatsApp’s blog:

To get started, parents will need to have the phone purchased for the family member and their own device side by side, so they can link the accounts. Once the setup is complete, these accounts will be controlled by the parent or guardian, who will decide who can reach this account and which groups they can join. Additionally, parents can review message requests from unknown people and manage the account's privacy settings.

The new parental controls and settings are protected by a parent PIN on the managed device. Only parents can access and change the privacy settings, giving them the authority to customize their family's experience.

While WhatsApp emphasizes that parents will have extra control over who their children are messaging, it also highlights that the content of conversations remains private. "All personal conversations are protected with end-to-end encryption, meaning no one— not even WhatsApp—can see or hear them," it says.

The video below provides a nice overview of how parent-managed accounts for pre-teens work:

You can find more details about parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp’s support site.

Other recent changes from WhatsApp include Group Message History, voice and video calls over the web, and an anti-spy mode.

What do you think about WhatsApp’s new pre-teen account option? Let us know in the comments.

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