Overview
- Meta will let children under 13 use WhatsApp through accounts managed by a parent or guardian, limited to messaging and calling.
- Parents link the child’s phone to their own in close proximity during setup, then secure controls with a parent PIN.
- Features such as Channels, Meta AI and Status are excluded for these accounts, and disappearing messages are disabled in one‑to‑one chats with preteens.
- Messages from unknown senders route to a requests folder that requires the parent PIN to view, and parents get alerts when a child adds, blocks or reports someone.
- If WhatsApp detects a user is under 13, the account is blocked until it is connected to a parent or guardian, and all personal chats remain protected with end‑to‑end encryption.