WhatsApp Introduces New Features for Teen Accounts as Online Risks Increase
- WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls for teenage accounts, allowing parents to manage selected privacy and account settings
- Parents can receive alerts about group activity and control teenagers' access to Channels, Status and Meta AI
- WhatsApp said parents cannot read private messages or listen to calls because end-to-end encryption remains active
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Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and broader financial trends.
WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls for teenage accounts, giving parents and guardians greater oversight of selected activities on the messaging platform.
The company announced the new feature on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, saying it was designed to help parents guide teenagers while preserving the privacy of their personal communications.
Source: Getty Images
WhatsApp adds controls for teen accounts
Under the new system, parents can manage several privacy settings on their teenagers' accounts.
These include deciding who can see a teenager's profile photo and who can add the teenager to groups.
Parents can also manage settings covering WhatsApp Channels and Status updates.
For example, parents can determine which Status updates their teenager can view and who can see the teenager's own Status updates.
If a teenager attempts to change certain restrictions imposed by a parent, WhatsApp will require approval using a PIN created by the parent.
Parents to receive group alerts
The new feature also gives parents information about selected group activities involving their teenagers.
WhatsApp said parents can receive notifications when a teenager joins or leaves a group. Alerts may also be triggered when a group in which the teenager participates grows significantly.
Leadership reports that the company said the controls are optional and can be adjusted or switched off by parents.
WhatsApp limits access to private messages
Despite the new controls, parents will not be able to read their teenagers' private WhatsApp messages.
They will also not be able to listen to their calls through the parental-control system.
WhatsApp said personal messages and calls will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption when parental controls are activated.
This means the contents of private conversations remain inaccessible to people outside the conversation, including WhatsApp.
The company said the system is intended to encourage conversations between parents and teenagers about privacy, online interactions and responsible use of the platform rather than provide unrestricted parental access.
Source: Facebook
Meta AI controls included
The new parental controls also cover Meta AI. Parents can choose between the standard 13-plus experience and a more restrictive Limited Content option for their teenagers.
WhatsApp said it would continue developing the controls based on feedback from families.
The company also cautioned that the features may not yet be available in every country as the rollout continues.
WhatsApp Business users face new charges
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian businesses that rely on WhatsApp to communicate with customers are facing a new cost as Meta prepares to introduce charges for certain business messages from October 1, 2026.
The change could hit companies that use WhatsApp at scale for customer service, sales, payment notifications, order updates and other routine communications.
Under the new pricing model, businesses using the WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, will pay for delivered service messages that were previously free under WhatsApp’s 24-hour customer service window.
Source: Legit.ng
