Setting up a safe chat space for your kids is about to get much simpler on your Apple smartphone. The popular messaging app WhatsApp is rolling out a brand new parental controls section inside its main settings menu for the iPhone. While the company launched parent-managed accounts earlier this spring, many families never set them up because the feature was hidden. Now, discovering and linking a child’s account is much more obvious for everyday users.
Parents scan a QR code to link a child account
When parents open the new parental controls menu on their device, the app shows a simple setup screen. The process requires them to have the child’s phone nearby. They simply scan a QR code or accept an invite to connect the two devices. After accepting the invite, they finish the short setup process on the child’s phone.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
The company built this flow to be easy for anyone to understand without needing any technical skills. By placing this feature front and center in the iOS app settings, the company hopes more families will actually use the tools it created earlier this year. The setup process is currently rolling out to users on the latest App Store version.
The app removes restrictions when the child turns eighteen
During the initial setup, the app asks for the child’s date of birth. This information stays completely private and is only used internally to manage the account. Based on the child’s age, the app will restrict certain features that might not be right for younger users, such as public channels and status updates.
When the child eventually turns eighteen, the software tracks this date and automatically removes all the parental controls. The restricted features will unlock on their own. A parent does not need to go in and manually turn off the limits. The system handles the entire transition automatically so the young adult can use the full version of the app.
Discussion