Control another WhatsApp account officially#
January 28, 2026
In response to growing demands for digital safety for minors, WhatsApp is beginning to develop a parental control system. According to the latest beta version for Android, the company is testing tools that will allow parents to create and manage "secondary" accounts for children with limited functionality. This will provide families with the necessary tools to create a safe digital environment without compromising the privacy of young users' personal communications.
Contents#
What is it#
This new feature set is designed to help parents and guardians manage their teenagers' accounts on the platform. According to the user agreement, users must reach a minimum age (usually 13, but may be higher depending on local laws) to create a WhatsApp account. For minors under this age, acceptance of the terms and conditions requires parental or guardian approval.
The new system allows for the creation of a "secondary" account with limited capabilities, securely linked to the parent's primary account. This link establishes a relationship between the profiles but does not grant the adult access to the child's private messages and calls, which remain protected by end-to-end encryption. This approach strikes a balance between control and respect for privacy.
Why is it needed#
This feature addresses key risks young users face in the digital space, providing parents with practical leverage.
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Control over communication circle. The most important setting is the ability for parents to restrict their child's ability to send messages and calls only to contacts in their address book. By default, this option will be enabled for secondary accounts, minimizing the risk of unwanted and potentially dangerous communication with strangers. A global "contacts only" setting does not yet exist in the regular WhatsApp.
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Shared privacy settings. Parents will be able to view and discuss key privacy settings with their child. This creates a natural opportunity for an important conversation about digital hygiene, explaining why certain restrictions are necessary and how they impact security.
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Activity reporting without compromising privacy. The primary account will receive general reports on the secondary account's activity. It is important to emphasize that the content of the conversations will not be disclosed. The report can include information about changes to important settings or general usage patterns, helping parents stay informed without intruding on their child's privacy.
How will it work and when will it be available#
The setup process will be intuitive and integrated into the main account settings.
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The parent initiates the creation of a secondary account for their child by following the built-in guide.
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The accounts are linked via a secure connection. The child receives their own independent profile for communicating with friends and family.
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In the main account settings, the parent has access to a control panel where they can view and configure key security settings for the linked account, such as social circles, profile privacy settings, etc.
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All changes are made transparently, and the child will be notified of key restrictions, promoting an open dialogue about safety.
The parental controls and secondary accounts feature is in active development and is currently being tested as part of the WhatsApp beta program for Android.
The development team is refining the integration of these new tools with the existing account structure and privacy settings to ensure a seamless and intuitive experience for families. Official global release dates have not yet been announced. The feature is expected to be available in a future app update.
Conclusion#
The development of a parental control system is a significant step by WhatsApp toward creating a safer and more responsible ecosystem. The company recognizes that teen users require a special approach that combines freedom of communication with protection from digital risks.
The proposed solution is not total supervision, but a structured set of tools designed to facilitate parents' role as digital mentors. It fosters family dialogue about online safety, providing a practical framework within which teens can learn to use technology responsibly while maintaining trust and personal boundaries.
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