Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp has No Built-in Parental Controls: WhatsApp lacks traditional parental monitoring features, so parents must manually adjust privacy settings and use third-party apps for supervision.
- WhatsApp May Post Safety Risks: Children may face exposure to inappropriate content through “View Once” messages, cyberbullying in groups of up to 1,024 members, and contact from strangers without content filtering.
- Manual Privacy Settings Are Your First Defense: Parents must configure blocking, group controls, location sharing, and profile visibility settings to keep kids safe on WhatsApp.
- Age 13+ Only: WhatsApp requires users to be 13 or older, though there’s no verification system – experts recommend delaying access until children demonstrate digital maturity.
- Kidslox Can Help: Parents can use third-party parental control apps like Kidslox to block WhatsApp entirely, create screen time limits, and monitor device usage.
WhatsApp is a popular messenger for kids and parents alike. But with great power comes great responsibility, and as parents, it’s crucial to take measures to ensure our kids are using WhatsApp safely and responsibly.
As a messaging service focused on privacy, WhatsApp offers several appealing features to kids and families.
WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, meaning messages are private and can only be read by the sender and receiver. WhatsApp also offers group chat features, making it easy for kids to stay in touch with friends and family.
However, while WhatsApp is an excellent tool for communication, there are also potential risks associated with its use.
WhatsApp doesn’t offer traditional built-in parental controls, which means parents and guardians will need to take a more hands-on approach to keeping their children safe while using the app.
For example, kids could be exposed to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, or online predators. That’s why parents must be aware of the potential risks and take steps to protect their kids.
In this guide, the privacy settings available on WhatsApp, third-party monitoring solutions, and the steps you can take to keep your child safe.
What is WhatsApp, and why is it So Popular Among Kids and Parents?
WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging app that allows users to exchange text, audio, and video messages. With nearly 3 billion active users globally as of 2024, it’s the world’s most popular messaging app.
WhatsApp is available on Android and iOS devices and a variety of international mobile phone networks. It can also be used on desktop computers – making it easy for kids and parents to stay connected.
WhatsApp is a popular choice for communication among kids and families for several reasons:
1. End-to-End Encryption
A primary reason that WhatsApp is popular among kids and families is its end-to-end encryption. This means that messages exchanged on WhatsApp are private and can only be read by the sender and receiver.
End-to-end encryption adds an extra layer of security – making it more difficult for hackers to access messages. Users enjoy the sense of privacy and security that end-to-end encryption provides.
However, this same feature also means parents cannot easily monitor their children’s conversations – which can quickly raise concerns.
2. Group Chat Features
Another popular feature of WhatsApp is its group chat capabilities. This feature allows users to create groups – making it easy for kids to stay in touch with friends and family members.
Recent updates to the app have expanded group chat sizes, with groups now allowing up to 1,024 participants. Users can easily add or remove people from groups.
3. Cross-Platform Availability
WhatsApp is available on various platforms, making it easy for kids and parents to stay connected.
WhatsApp can be used on Android and iOS devices and desktop computers. This cross-platform availability makes it a popular choice for communication among families.
4. Free to Use
WhatsApp is a free-to-use app – making it an appealing choice for families on a budget. WhatsApp does not charge users for messaging services – making it a cost-effective option for communication.
5. Fun Features That Appeal to Kids
If it’s just a messaging app, why are so many kids eager to sign up? Once you dig into WhatsApp as an experience, you’ll find that the creative features are a big draw for children and teens.
In chats, users can create custom stickers, send voice messages and video calls, and keep one another updated with status updates.
Recent updates have introduced an AI chatbot that can create text and images from simple prompts – which has plenty of creative potential, but also new risks.
The Risks Associated with WhatsApp for Kids
While WhatsApp is a great tool for communication, there are also potential risks associated with its use.
1. Inappropriate Content
One of the risks associated with WhatsApp is that kids could be exposed to inappropriate content. WhatsApp allows users to exchange text, audio, and video messages – meaning that kids could potentially come across offensive or sexually explicit content.
One of the most concerning aspects of WhatsApp is the “View Once” feature.
Similar to apps such as Snapchat, this feature lets users send photos or videos that can only be viewed once before disappearing. This can make it nearly impossible for parents to review or report harmful content if their child is exposed to it.
2. Cyberbullying
Another potential risk associated with WhatsApp is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that occurs online – and it can be difficult for parents to detect.
Because WhatsApp is a private messaging app, it can be used by bullies to send harassing or threatening messages to kids. This has led to the rise of “doxing,” where bullies publicly share a victim’s personal information with groups in an effort to disrupt their lives.
3. Online Predators
Another risk associated with WhatsApp is that kids could be targeted by online predators.
Online predators are adults who use the internet to exploit children. They may use WhatsApp to send inappropriate messages or images or groom kids for real-life meet-ups.
Group chats are especially vulnerable, as members can copy and share chat links to strangers – and those strangers can easily blend into groups that reach the 1,000-member mark.
4. Privacy Concerns
The end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp offers is a great privacy feature – but it also has potential risks.
Because messages are private, parents may not be able to see what kids are sending and receiving on WhatsApp. This could make it difficult to detect if kids share sensitive information or face bullying from others.
5. Disappearing Messages
WhatsApp’s “Disappearing Messages” feature automatically deletes messages after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.
While this might seem like a privacy benefit, this feature cuts both ways. It may prevent parents from reviewing conversations and make it harder to document cyberbullying or inappropriate contact.
Children might also feel emboldened to send risky content, thinking it will vanish permanently, without realizing screenshots can still be taken and shared on a more permanent basis.
6. No Content Filtering
Unlike some platforms designed for younger users, WhatsApp has no content filtering system.
This means there’s no automatic detection or blocking of inappropriate language, images, or links that might be harmful to children and teens.
How to Enable Parental Controls on WhatsApp
While WhatsApp doesn’t have traditional parental controls, you can adjust privacy settings to make the app safer for your child. Let’s walk through the privacy settings and safety features you can configure:
Blocking Someone on WhatsApp
A common issue parents face is that their kids are added to WhatsApp groups without permission.
Fortunately, WhatsApp offers a way to block someone from adding your child to a group. By enabling this setting, only people who have your child’s contact information will be able to add them to a group.
To enable this setting:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap Account > Privacy > Blocked
- Within this setting page, select or add the names/numbers of individuals you wish to block.
Once a name or number is added to the block list, that person will no longer be able to contact your child or see their status updates.
Remove Visible Public Information
To help protect your child’s privacy, you can remove their visible public information from WhatsApp. This setting will prevent other users from seeing your child’s profile photo, status, and about section.
To remove visible public information:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap Account > Privacy
Within “Privacy,” you can restrict four different levels of public information:
- Last Seen & Online: this shows when you were last active on WhatsApp
- Profile Photo: this is the photo that is displayed in the profile of the specific WhatsApp account
- Status: this editable text setting shows what a user is currently doing
- About: this is the editable information that is displayed in your profile
You can choose “Nobody,” “My Contacts,” “My Contacts Except,” (to exclude specific contacts) or “Everyone” for each of these privacy settings.
- “Nobody” will make the information completely private
- “My Contacts” will only allow contacts to see the information
- “Everyone” will allow anyone on WhatsApp to see the information
We recommend that parents choose “Nobody” for the Last Seen, Profile Photo, and Status settings – and “My Contacts” for the About setting. This will help protect your child’s privacy while allowing them to share information with their contacts.
Turn Off Live Locations
Another feature of WhatsApp is the ability to share your live location with others. While this can be a useful feature, it also has potential risks – like allowing strangers to know your child’s whereabouts. Many parents are unaware that this setting exists and can be turned on without their knowledge.
To turn off this setting:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
- Tap Account > Privacy > Live Location
- Within this setting page, you can choose “Off” or “Share with No One.” If you want to allow your child to share their location with specific contacts, you can choose “Share with Contacts.”
We recommend that parents choose “Off” for this setting to help protect their child’s privacy and safety. If you also use WhatsApp, you can limit their Live Location sharing to your account to keep tabs on their location.
Control Group Invitations
By default, anyone with your child’s phone number can add them to a group. If you’ve used WhatsApp to any extent, you’ve likely been added to groups that you never intended to join – often full of spam content or harmful links.
You can take steps to change this invitation availability:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Groups
- Choose from:
- “Everyone” (default setting)
- “My Contacts” (only saved contacts can add)
- “My Contacts Except” (exclude specific people)
- “Nobody” (requires invitation approval)
We recommend “My Contacts” or “Nobody” for maximum safety.
Silence Unknown Callers
Remember, the initial purpose of WhatsApp was to allow for encrypted messaging and calls.
So, naturally, your child may end up getting calls from strangers or spam bots often – particularly if they start to engage in any groups phishing for contact data.
To prevent spam and unwanted calls:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Calls
- Turn on “Silence Unknown Callers”
- This will automatically silence calls from numbers not in your child’s contacts
Mute Group Messages
Group messages have become a popular way for users – both kids and adults – to communicate on WhatsApp.
While group messages can be fun and helpful, they can also be overwhelming and frustrating. If your child is added to a group without their permission, or if they’re added to a group that’s constantly sending messages, they may want a way to mute the conversation.
Fortunately, WhatsApp offers a way to mute group messages. This setting will prevent messages from a specific group from appearing in your child’s notifications. The messages will still be stored within the app, but your child won’t be notified whenever a message is sent.
To mute group messages:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the group message you wish to mute.
- Tap the group name at the top of the screen.
- Within the “Group Info” page, scroll down and tap “Mute.”
- You can choose to mute the group for a variety of different lengths of time.
If your child is added to a group without their permission, or if they’re added to a group that’s constantly sending messages, muting the group can be a helpful way to prevent notifications from being overwhelming.
Managing Disappearing Messages
One of the biggest concerns parents have – those disappearing messages – can be limited and turned off completely. The biggest hurdle? You have to turn it off on a group-by-group basis.
If your child uses disappearing messages, here’s how to turn them off:
- Open the specific chat
- Tap the contact or group name
- Select “Disappearing Messages”
- Choose “Off” to disable
Another hurdle? Your child can re-enable this feature when unsupervised, so regular checks are important to keep the restrictions in place.
Monitoring WhatsApp Through WhatsApp Web
So, how do you keep your kids safe on WhatsApp? Beyond setting up the proper controls and creating a digital safety plan, you can monitor what they are doing on the app via WhatsApp Web:
- Visit web.whatsapp.com on your computer
- On your child’s phone, go to Settings > Linked Devices
- Scan the QR code displayed on your computer
- This mirrors your child’s WhatsApp account in real-time
When you monitor your child’s account via WhatsApp Web, you can see what the account is doing in real-time, giving you an extra set of eyes on the activity.
But note, your child will see “WhatsApp Web is active” on their phone, and can unlink the access from their device if they know how to do so.
Red Flags Parents Should Watch For
Not sure if you should be concerned about your child’s WhatsApp use? While most interactions between friends will stay safe and harmless, there are some red flags you should watch for:
- Your child is deleting chat history often
- They show a reluctance to show you their phone screen
- They are receiving messages at unusual hours
- You notice emotional changes after using the app
- You find new contacts in their account with unclear relationships
- They are suddenly adding passwords to their devices and accounts
Tips to Help Create A Safer WhatsApp Experience
Beyond technical controls, open communication is essential for keeping your child safe on WhatsApp. Here are key conversations to have:
1. Build Screenshot Awareness
A key digital skill your child should master? Knowing that even “View Once” messages and disappearing content can be captured with screenshots
Teach your child the risks of sending anything they wouldn’t want to be saved permanently. Remind them that recipients can always use another phone to photograph their screen.
2. Install WhatsApp Stranger Safety
Teach them to never accept messages from unknown numbers or join public WhatsApp groups shared online.
Make it clear that real friends and family will identify themselves, and that they can always come to you if they are worried or concerned about any particular interactions.
3. Guide Them In Protecting Personal Information
Help them understand what should never be shared online:
- Phone numbers
- WhatsApp QR codes
- Home addresses
- School names
- Photos in school uniforms
Without scaring them, help them understand that even seemingly harmless content can be used against them, especially if those strangers want to find out where they live or go to school.
4. Create an Open Door Policy
Build a relationship that gives them the freedom to tell you if they receive inappropriate content or feel uncomfortable in any conversation. Let them know they can ask for help if they are added to groups without permission or experience cyberbullying.
Most importantly, assure them they won’t get in trouble for reporting problems.
5. Help Them Understand Digital Permanence
Help them learn that nothing shared digitally is truly private or temporary – even with WhatsApp’s encryption and disappearing features.
Explain real examples of how screenshots and forwarded messages can spread beyond their control, and the risks of taking privacy for granted.
Stay Safe Online with Kidslox
While WhatsApp’s privacy features can create challenges for parental supervision, third-party parental control apps like Kidslox can help bridge the gap.
As a parent, it’s essential to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to protect your child. By following the tips in this article, you can help ensure that your child is using WhatsApp safely and responsibly.
If you want to take your internet safety a step further, consider using a third-party parental control app like Kidslox.
Kidslox is a parental control app that can help protect your child’s online safety. It provides a variety of features, including:
- Location tracking
- App blocking (including the ability to block WhatsApp entirely during certain times)
- Browser blocking
- Time limits
With Kidslox, a single account can control and limit all of your family’s devices. The tools and features create an additional tool in your digital toolkit to help you better guide your children and teens in safe digital behavior.
Want to learn more? Download Kidslox today, and see how you can use powerful tools to enhance your family’s safety online. Make sure to check out our full library of guides and resources to learn even more about how to stay safe in the digital age.
