Fresh updates suggest that WhatsApp is preparing new tools to help parents better manage how children use the messaging platform.
According to a report, WhatsApp is developing parental control features that will allow a secondary account to be linked to a parent’s primary account. The feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.1.30 and is still under active development.
The new system is expected to let parents create and manage a secondary WhatsApp account designed specifically for younger users. These accounts will have limited features and will be connected to the parent account through a dedicated linking process. While both accounts remain separate, the connection will establish a clear parent child relationship within the app.
Built in restrictions are a key focus of the secondary account model. Messaging and calling may be restricted to saved contacts only, helping reduce exposure to unknown users. At present, WhatsApp does not offer a direct option to limit communication strictly to contacts, making this a notable change.
The report also states that WhatsApp plans to share limited account and activity updates from the secondary account with the parent’s primary account. These updates are expected to cover general activity or changes to important settings. Message content and call details will not be shared.
WhatsApp is expected to maintain end to end encryption across both primary and secondary accounts. This means that chats and calls will continue to remain private, even with parental controls enabled.
Details on exactly what information parents will be able to view are still unclear, and the tools are being refined. WhatsApp has not officially announced when the parental control features will be released to all users.
Once rolled out, the new controls could help parents set age appropriate limits while allowing children to use WhatsApp in a safer and more controlled environment. The feature is seen as a step toward balancing user privacy with parental oversight on one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms.
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