How to Set Up a WhatsApp Account for Children Aged 10-12 Years with Parental Control Features

WhatsApp has officially introduced a long-awaited innovation for parents worldwide: Parental-Managed Accounts. This feature has been specifically designed to bridge the communication needs of children aged 10 to 12 years with strict safety standards.

Meta has taken this step following extensive research with child protection experts and in response to widespread requests from families seeking a secure yet private instant messaging platform for their children.

Unlike regular accounts, WhatsApp accounts for children aged 10-12 years feature a hierarchical structure. Parents act as the primary administrators with complete control over their child’s digital ecosystem.

To activate this feature, parents require two devices: one mobile phone for the child and one device for the parent to link the account. This linking process ensures parents have deeper administrative access and control over the account.

Despite being under supervision, WhatsApp has emphasised that its core principles remain unchanged. All messages and calls remain protected by end-to-end encryption. This means WhatsApp and Meta cannot view the content of conversations. Parents manage “who” communicates with their child, but the content of conversations remains a private space between the child and their contacts.

The introduction of parental-managed accounts demonstrates that WhatsApp is taking underage user segments seriously with a more responsible approach. This is not merely about imposing restrictions, but rather providing a learning space for children to communicate digitally in a safe and private environment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Regarding whether parents can read their child’s messages, the system maintains encryption. The focus of this feature is on contact and group management, not real-time surveillance of message content on the parent’s device.

WhatsApp is rolling out this feature gradually over several months from March 2026.