Parents can now keep an eye on children's WhatsApp accounts! Find out what the new feature offers..

WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls for teen accounts. This feature allows parents to manage key settings related to their child's WhatsApp usage while ensuring that the privacy of the child's personal chats and calls remains intact.

Through these new features, parents can decide who can view their child's profile photo, who can add them to WhatsApp groups, and how they interact with status updates and channels. Parents also get specific controls regarding Meta AI; they can choose the standard "13+" setting for the teen or opt for a more restricted contact setting.

Crucially, parents will not be able to see the child's personal chats or calls. The aim of this feature is not to monitor every conversation, but to provide a way to manage essential safety and privacy settings.

**New feature announced on September 30**
WhatsApp announced these new parental controls for teen accounts on September 30. According to the company, these controls can be set up jointly by parents and teens.

These features are optional, meaning families can use them according to their specific needs. Parents can modify these settings later or disable the parental controls entirely. A parent-set PIN plays a key role here; if a teen attempts to change a setting that a parent has locked, they will need to enter the parent's PIN.

**Alerts for joining new groups**
The new feature also includes group activity alerts. Parents can receive notifications if their teen joins or leaves a WhatsApp group. Additionally, parents may receive an activity alert if there is a significant increase in the number of members in a group the teen is already part of. **Control over Status and Channels**
Parents will also be able to determine whom their teen can see status updates from and who can view their child's own status.

Controls for channels are also included. This allows parents to restrict certain privacy and content settings according to their preferences without completely shutting down their child's WhatsApp.

**Parental settings secured by a PIN**
A parent-set PIN will be used to secure the parental controls. If a teen wishes to change a setting locked by the parent, they will need to enter this PIN. This prevents the teen from easily removing the restrictions set by the parents. However, parents can modify these settings or disable parental controls whenever they choose.

**Parents will not see personal chats and calls**
This WhatsApp feature does not provide an option for parents to access their children's personal chats and calls. In other words, while parents can control certain account and privacy settings, the child's private conversations and calls will remain private and inaccessible to them.

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