WhatsApp Finally Starts Working on Parental Control Features

WhatsApp remains one of the most widely used messaging platforms, and it may soon introduce long-requested parental control tools. The move follows a broader industry push to protect younger users, with platforms like Roblox rolling out facial age verification.

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.1.30 has appeared through the Google Play Beta Program. The update reveals early development work on a dedicated parental control system.

Linked accounts and primary controls in development

The report suggests WhatsApp is building a “primary controls” framework that allows parents to manage linked secondary accounts designed for children or younger teens. These secondary accounts would ship with stricter safeguards and limited functionality by default.

Parents could review privacy-related settings and decide who can message or call the child’s account, such as restricting communication to saved contacts only. WhatsApp currently does not offer granular options to limit incoming messages and calls, which makes this a notable potential change.

Limited activity sharing, encryption stays intact

The system may also allow some form of general account activity sharing between the child’s secondary account and the parent’s primary account. This would not include message content. Instead, shared data may focus on usage patterns or changes to key privacy settings, though WhatsApp has not confirmed exact details.

End-to-end encryption for chats and calls will remain fully enabled, even with linked accounts in place. WhatsApp continues to position encryption as a non-negotiable core feature.

Not available yet, broader platform changes continue

The parental control tools remain under development and are not yet accessible to beta testers. WhatsApp may introduce them in a future update once development progresses.

The company has faced criticism in recent months for other platform decisions, including forcing Windows users to a newer desktop app. Similar shifts continue across Meta’s ecosystem, as Facebook has also shut down its Messenger app for Windows, signaling a wider move toward streamlined, unified platforms.