WhatsApp Plans Feature to Help Parents Monitor Kids’ Chats

WhatsApp appears to be working on a new parental control feature aimed at making the app safer for younger users. Reportedly called “Primary Controls,” the tool is designed to help parents manage how their children use WhatsApp, without peeking into their private chats.

What Are Primary Controls?

According to details shared by WABetaInfo, Primary Controls will allow a parent’s account to act as the “primary account,” while the child’s profile becomes a “secondary account.” Through this setup, parents can view activity settings and decide which features their child can or cannot use.

How the Feature Will Work

The child’s account will be linked to the parent’s account through a dedicated connection. Parents will be able to control visibility options like last seen status, online activity, profile photo, About section, and read receipts. They can also manage permissions related to calls, messages, and overall privacy settings.

Safety Without Snooping

A key highlight of this feature is privacy. While parents can supervise usage and apply restrictions, messages and calls on the child’s account will remain private and end-to-end encrypted. This ensures safety checks without compromising personal conversations.

Blocking Strangers and Unknown Groups

Primary Controls will also help parents limit exposure to strangers. They can prevent unknown users from messaging their child and restrict random group additions, an important step toward reducing online risks for minors.

When Will It Launch?

For now, the feature is still under development and hasn’t rolled out even to beta users. WhatsApp has not shared a timeline for a public release, but the move signals a clear push toward stronger child safety tools on the platform.

If introduced widely, Primary Controls could become a welcome addition for parents looking to balance digital safety with privacy.