Keep an eye on your child's chats without snooping: WhatsApp introduces a parental control feature..

WhatsApp has launched new parental control features for Indian users. The aim is to enable parents to better monitor and guide their teenage children's app usage. Notably, these features are optional and can be set up jointly by parents and their children—without the parents needing to read the children's chats.

In an official statement, the company said, "Today, we are introducing parental controls for teens—a set of flexible, optional tools that parents and teens can set up together, allowing families to choose the WhatsApp experience that works best for them."

**Parents get more control on WhatsApp**

According to the company, these new parental controls consist of a set of optional tools that parents and children can configure together. The goal is to help each family customize their WhatsApp experience.

Through these controls, parents can determine which privacy settings are appropriate for their teen. This includes deciding who can view the teen's profile photo and who can add them to WhatsApp groups.

If a teen wishes to change these settings to allow more people to interact with them, parental approval—via a PIN set by the parent—may be required in certain instances.

This is a standout aspect of the new parental control feature: parents can receive updates regarding their teen's group activities. WhatsApp will send notifications when the teen joins or leaves a group. Additionally, parents can receive alerts if a group their teen is part of grows significantly in size.

This will help parents understand which communities or groups their teen is joining. However, these controls will not grant permission to read group conversations.

Moreover, WhatsApp's new parental controls are not limited to just groups; they have been extended to Channels and Status features as well. Parents can decide how their teenager uses Channels.

Additionally, they can control which status updates their child can view and who can see the child's own status updates. This gives parents the option to select appropriate settings for their teenager across various social features on WhatsApp.

Meta AI is also included in the new parental controls. Parents can select a default "13+" experience for their child. Furthermore, if a family prefers stricter content restrictions, parents can choose a "limited content" option. These settings can be selected based on the family's needs and suitability.

How to set up WhatsApp parental controls?
Open WhatsApp: First, open WhatsApp on your phone and tap on the three dots or the 'Settings' option in the top right corner.
Select Parental Controls: Click on the 'Parental Controls' option found within the settings menu.

Link Account: Select the WhatsApp account of the teenager you wish to link.

Create a 6-digit PIN: During setup, the app will ask you to create a security PIN. Enter a new 6-digit PIN of your choice.
Confirm PIN: Re-enter the same 6-digit PIN to confirm, then tap 'Save' or 'Done'.

What can you control once the PIN is set up? Privacy Settings: Your child will not be able to make unauthorized changes to their profile photo, status, or group privacy settings without your six-digit PIN.
Group Activity Alerts: You will receive a notification whenever your child joins or leaves a group.
Meta AI Access: You can decide whether your child uses Meta AI in the default (13+) mode or the safer 'limited content' mode.

How do you change the PIN?
First, open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
Tap on 'Parental Control' and select your child's account.
Tap the three dots at the top and select 'Change Parent PIN'.
Enter the new six-digit PIN and tap 'Next'.
Confirm the PIN and tap 'Done'.
According to the company, the parental control PIN can be changed at any time. The company also notes that an activity alert may appear when the PIN is changed.

Parental controls without monitoring private chats
WhatsApp's new controls focus on giving parents options to guide their teenagers' usage of the app, rather than subjecting them to total monitoring. Parents can manage settings related to privacy, group activity, Channels, Status, and features like Meta AI, though the ability to read private chats is not included. In this way, WhatsApp has sought to provide parents with greater insight and control over app usage while preserving the teenagers' privacy.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we modified it for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.