Updated October 2026
“Can I have WhatsApp? Everyone has it.” Many parents will recognise that question. Your child wants to stay in touch with classmates, friends and family, but an ordinary messaging app may still feel like a big step.
Since March 2026, WhatsApp has been introducing a solution for younger children: the parent-managed account. It lets children send messages and make calls, while parents manage certain contacts, groups and privacy settings. The feature is being rolled out gradually and may not yet be available on every phone or in every region.
In this guide you’ll read how to set up a WhatsApp kids account, what you can manage as a parent and what information you get to see. We also explain what changes when your child gets older, and when a separate messaging app for children, such as BUBLE, can be the better choice.
What is the WhatsApp kids account?
WhatsApp calls it a parent-managed account. It is meant for children under 13, or under a higher minimum age if one applies in their country. Unlike an ordinary WhatsApp account, part of the control lies with the parent or guardian.
The kids account focuses on messaging and calling. Features such as Status, Channels and Meta AI are not available. Disappearing messages have also been removed from one-on-one chats. Among other things, parents can manage who is allowed to make contact, which groups are permitted and who can see certain profile details.
The most important settings are protected with a parent PIN. Parents can also receive notifications about activity, such as contacts being added or changes around groups.
Good to know before you start: the kids account is not the same as parental supervision for teens. On 30 September 2026, WhatsApp also introduced optional supervision features for teens aged 13 to 17. These let parents guide certain privacy settings and features while personal messages stay private. Both options are being rolled out gradually.
What do you need to set up WhatsApp for your child?
Before you begin, check that you have the following to hand:
Your child’s phone and your own phone. Both must be able to run WhatsApp. Preferably install the latest version.
A phone number of your child’s own. A parent-managed WhatsApp account is also linked to a phone number. You must be able to verify the number.
Your own WhatsApp account. This will be linked to your child’s account.
Your child’s date of birth. WhatsApp uses it to determine which type of account applies.
A few minutes. Keep both phones together so you can complete the linking.
So your child doesn’t necessarily need an expensive phone plan, but WhatsApp does require a phone number that can be verified. A prepaid number can be an option, as long as you can use it to verify the account.
Is the WhatsApp kids account already available where you live?
WhatsApp says the feature is being rolled out gradually and may not yet be available in every region. So don’t automatically assume you will already see the option on your phone.
First check that WhatsApp is up to date. Then open the setup on your child’s phone and see whether the option for a parent-managed account appears. If that option is missing, consult the official WhatsApp parental controls guide and try again later.
You can also already look at which messaging app suits your child’s age. You don’t necessarily have to wait for WhatsApp if your child wants to be able to communicate safely with family and friends right now.
Setting up a WhatsApp kids account: step by step
The exact screens and button names may differ between versions. WhatsApp describes the following basic procedure for creating a parent-managed account.
Step 1: install WhatsApp on your child’s phone.
Download WhatsApp Messenger from the App Store or Google Play. Open the app and look for the option to create a parent-managed account. Don’t register an ordinary account first if what you want is a kids account.
Step 2: verify your child’s phone number.
Enter the phone number you want to use for the account. Follow the instructions to verify the number and confirm your child’s date of birth.
Step 3: start linking the accounts.
Follow the prompts on your child’s phone to link the account to yours. Keep both phones to hand. WhatsApp guides you through the available linking procedure.
Step 4: confirm the link on your own phone.
Follow the instructions to connect your WhatsApp account to your child’s. WhatsApp may ask you to confirm that you are an adult.
Step 5: set the parent PIN.
As part of the setup you create a parent PIN. It protects the parental settings. Choose a code your child can’t easily guess, and don’t share it with your child if you want to stop them changing the protected settings themselves.
Step 6: finish the setup.
Go through the remaining steps on both phones. Then check which settings are available and adjust them to suit your family.
Seeing different screens from the ones described above? Then follow the current prompts in the app. The rollout and the exact procedure can change. The official explanation is in the WhatsApp Help Center.
What can you manage as a parent?
One of the main differences from an ordinary WhatsApp account is that, as a parent, you get more ways to guide your child’s communication.
Contacts and message requests
You can view and manage your child’s contacts. Message requests from unknown contacts can be reviewed before you decide whether someone is added as an approved contact.
That doesn’t mean you can approve every message in advance. Exactly how it works depends on the contact settings and on how someone tries to get in touch.
Groups
A kids account can’t create groups itself; you decide which groups your child joins. WhatsApp can also alert you when important changes happen in groups your child is in.
Privacy settings
You can manage certain settings, for example who may see your child’s profile photo or online status. The parent PIN protects the settings that only the parent is allowed to change.
Activity and notifications
WhatsApp offers an activity overview and notifications about important events. Think of a contact being added or blocked, a new message request or changes around groups. You can set which notifications you receive for different activities.
These features give you more insight into how WhatsApp is used. They don’t mean, however, that you can follow all of your child’s conversations.
What do you see as a parent — and what don’t you?
This may well be the most important question before you set up a kids account.
What you can see
Depending on the available features and your settings, you can, among other things:
view which contacts your child has and manage certain contacts;
review message requests from unknown contacts;
see which relevant activity WhatsApp shows in the activity overview;
receive notifications about events around contacts and groups;
manage certain privacy settings for your child.
What you can’t see
You can’t read along with personal messages through parental supervision. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for personal conversations. That means their content isn’t accessible through the parent’s activity overview.
So you don’t automatically see what your child says to a friend, which photos are exchanged in a chat or exactly how a conversation unfolds. You do get information about certain activity, but that is something different from access to the content.
Nor does the kids account offer a built-in daily screen-time limit that would, say, automatically close WhatsApp after one hour. For general screen-time restrictions you can use the features of iOS or Android.
That last point does call for a conscious choice: if you block access to WhatsApp completely, your child also can’t use the app at that moment to reach you.
For a child who already handles messaging fairly independently, the WhatsApp kids account can be a suitable in-between step. For a younger child who still needs help understanding messages, dealing with conflict or keeping an eye on screen time, you may want more guidance.
Which features are missing from the WhatsApp kids account?
The kids account is focused on communication and deliberately has fewer options than an ordinary WhatsApp account. According to WhatsApp, the following features, among others, are not available:
Status updates;
Channels;
Meta AI;
disappearing messages in one-on-one chats.
The exact features available can change. So check WhatsApp’s current information before assuming a particular feature is or isn’t there.
The principle is clear: WhatsApp limits the experience for young children and adds parental settings. It remains, however, an adapted version of an existing messaging app.
An app designed specifically for children can take a different approach. Think of a simpler interface, features that match the development of young children, and settings that determine not only who may make contact but also how a child learns to use the app.
What happens when your child turns 13?
When your child reaches the age of 13, or the higher minimum age that applies in your region, WhatsApp informs you and your child in advance about the option to start managing the account independently.
Your child can then view and accept the privacy policy and terms to switch to an ordinary account. The parental restrictions of the managed account disappear with that transition.
For teens aged 13 to 17, WhatsApp additionally offers optional parental supervision. It lets parents and teens manage certain privacy settings and features together. Personal messages and conversations remain end-to-end encrypted then too.
So it isn’t the case that you automatically keep all your existing parental options on the thirteenth birthday. Talk with your child in good time about what freedom they will get and what agreements you want to make together.
What does BUBLE do differently from WhatsApp?
We built BUBLE from a different idea: young children should be able to stay in touch with the people who matter to them, without immediately getting the same digital environment as older teens and adults.
BUBLE is available for iPhone and Android. These are the main differences in approach.
1. Parents approve contacts
In BUBLE, parents approve contacts before their child can communicate with that person. So it isn’t only about unknown numbers sending a request. The aim is that parents know in advance who is in their child’s bubble.
2. Parents can read along if they switch it on
In BUBLE, parents can set the ability to read along with messages per child. The child sees that this feature is on. It is meant to make guidance possible without covert surveillance.
3. Screen time is part of the app
Parents can set a daily time limit. When that limit is reached, parents and other trusted contacts remain reachable. So a screen-time limit doesn’t have to mean the line home closes too.
4. The experience grows with your child’s age
For young children, voice messages and ready-made sentences are handy while typing is still hard. As a child gets older, more options can become available, such as video calls, groups and games. Parents can tailor the experience to their child.
5. No phone number or SIM card needed for the kids account
A parent creates the kids account from their own account. The child doesn’t need their own phone number or SIM card for it. That makes it easier to start on a device your child already has.
6. No ads or algorithmic feed
BUBLE is about contact with people you know. There are no ads, no algorithmic feed and no AI chatbot for children to wander off into outside their conversations.
There is also an important difference to keep in mind: BUBLE doesn’t replace WhatsApp for all contacts. If your child’s classmates communicate exclusively through WhatsApp, you can’t automatically reach those contacts through BUBLE. So the best choice depends not only on features, but also on your child’s age and the apps the people around them use.
Is the WhatsApp kids account right for your child?
There is no fixed age at which every child is ready for a messaging app. Look above all at how independent your child is, the contacts they want to communicate with and how much guidance you think is needed.
Your child is eleven or twelve and the class already uses WhatsApp.
The kids account can be a practical first step. You can manage contacts and certain privacy settings and let your child get to know group chats. Do discuss what your child should do about unpleasant messages, peer pressure or contact from strangers.
Your child is younger and is just starting to chat.
Then an app designed specifically for children may be a better fit. A simpler start, pre-approved contacts and guidance in using it can help build digital independence step by step.
You want to know what happens in conversations.
The WhatsApp kids account gives you activity information, but no access to the content of personal conversations. If you want to be able to read along, you need to choose a solution that explicitly supports that and makes it clear to your child.
You mainly want to keep an eye on screen time.
WhatsApp has no built-in daily app limit for the kids account. You can use the phone’s screen-time settings for that. If you want trusted contacts to stay reachable after a set limit, look carefully at how the app you choose and the settings on the device work together.
Read our guide too: WhatsApp for kids: the new children’s account, the alternatives and what suits your child.
Frequently asked questions about the WhatsApp kids account
From what age can a child have a WhatsApp kids account?
The parent-managed account is meant for children under 13, or under a higher minimum age if one applies in the country concerned. The feature does have to be available in your region. Whether your child is ready for it is another question — read our guide What age for WhatsApp? A parent's guide by age.
Does my child need their own phone number?
Yes. A WhatsApp account, including a parent-managed one, needs a phone number you can verify. A prepaid number can be enough. The BUBLE kids account needs no phone number or SIM card of its own.
Can I read my child’s messages?
No, not through WhatsApp’s parental features. Personal messages are end-to-end encrypted. You can manage certain contacts and view information about activity. In BUBLE, parents can read along if they switch that feature on; the child sees that it is on.
Can my child just chat with strangers?
WhatsApp gives parents ways to review message requests from unknown contacts and to decide who may make contact. That works differently from a system in which every contact has to be approved by a parent in advance. Look carefully at the contact settings when setting up.
Can I limit screen time on WhatsApp?
Not with a built-in daily time limit in the WhatsApp kids account. You can use the phone’s screen-time settings. Bear in mind that a general block can also stop your child from using WhatsApp to get in touch with you.
Does the WhatsApp kids account already work where you live?
WhatsApp is rolling out the feature gradually and says it may not yet be available in every region. Update the app and check whether the option for a parent-managed account appears. If in doubt, consult WhatsApp’s official information.
Can I convert an existing WhatsApp account into a kids account?
The official setup procedure is aimed at creating a parent-managed account. If your child already has an ordinary account, check WhatsApp’s current instructions first before deleting or setting anything up again. That way you avoid unintentionally losing data or access.
What if I forget the parent PIN?
The PIN protects the parental settings. Consult WhatsApp’s current instructions for the available recovery procedure. Store the code safely, for example in a password manager, and don’t simply use the same code as for unlocking the phone.
Can my child switch off parental supervision themselves?
The parental settings of the managed account are protected with a parent PIN. When your child reaches the age to switch to an independent account, the situation changes. So discuss in advance what agreements you want to make about privacy and responsibility.
In closing: which messaging app suits your child?
The WhatsApp kids account is a step forward for parents who want to introduce their young child to messaging and calling. You can guide contacts, groups and privacy settings and get insight into certain activity. You can’t, however, read along with personal messages, and there is no built-in daily screen-time limit.
For older children who already communicate with classmates on WhatsApp, it can be a good first step. For younger children who are still learning to handle digital communication, a purpose-built kids app may be a better fit.
That is why we made BUBLE: a place where children can stay in touch with family and friends, with parental guidance that fits their age. Not every child needs the same app, and not every family makes the same choices. The main thing is that you consciously choose what your child needs now — and that you revisit that choice as they get older.
Read also: Phone Rules for Kids: Family Agreements by Age.
Official information and sources
WhatsApp, Parental controls and kids accounts
WhatsApp Help Center, Parent-managed accounts
WhatsApp, Announcement of parent-managed accounts
WhatsApp Help Center, Setting up parental supervision for teens
Last updated: October 2026.
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