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Published on Jul 13, 2023
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Sophia Clark

WhatsApp parental control: WhatsApp privacy Setting

WhatsApp is a messaging app that has become very popular in recent years. It is a fantastic way for people to stay in touch with friends, and family members. However, there are some risks associated with WhatsApp that parents need to be aware of.

According to the latest research, WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users globally, and WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging app worldwide.

The internet is a vast and wild west of information, and it’s important to ensure that your children are only accessing safe and age-appropriate content. Being a parent, it is your responsibility to protect your children from harmful or inappropriate content.

The solution to this problem is to use WhatsApp's parental control features. With these features, parents can monitor and restrict the kind of content their children can access on WhatsApp.

In this article, we will briefly discuss why WhatsApp parental control is important and how it can help keep your children safe online.

What's the Minimum Age Restriction for WhatsApp?

As a parent of small children, you may be wondering what the minimum age restriction is for WhatsApp.

To legally use WhatsApp, your child must be 16 years old. Once, the restrictions were lifted to 13 years old, but in April 2018 data protection laws reverted them back to 16 years old.

This is because WhatsApp collects personal data from its users, including phone numbers and addresses. This information could be used to harm children if misused.

It is important for you to guard your children against cyberbullying and harassment online. The implementation of a number of parental control software will allow parents to block their children's Whatsapp messages.

What Impacts do Social Apps like WhatsApp Have on Teenagers?

Nowadays, almost every teenager has a smartphone. And with that comes a whole host of social apps, like WhatsApp accounts. But what impact does this have on teenagers?

The WhatsApp messaging app allows you to send texts, photos, videos, and audio files. It’s also one of the best-known social apps among teenagers.

Some of the positive impacts of WhatsApp on teenagers include

  • It's a fantastic way to communicate with distant relatives and friends.
  • It’s also a convenient way to share news and information.

The truth is, everything has two sides, and WhatsApp has also a negative impact on youngsters.

  • Social apps can lead to addiction, and dependency, and affect mental health.
  • They can be a source of cyberbullying and harassment.
  • They can compromise privacy and security.
  • They can be a distraction from schoolwork and other important activities.

Parenting teenagers requires you to be knowledgeable about the risks associated with social apps. You should also have a conversation with your teenager about the responsible use of the apps and how to deal with online predators.

Why do Parents need to Put Parental Controls on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is known to be a valuable communication tool for children, teenagers, and over a billion users. However, there are also some risks associated with the app.

Several parental control software on the internet provides a feature for blocking WhatsApp so parents can be sure their children aren't wasting time on it. Parents should use parental control solution for the following reasons.

  • WhatsApp allows users to share their location with other users, which can put children at risk. Using parental control programs in this situation is a good idea.
  • There have been cases of cyberbullying and online predators using WhatsApp to target children.
  • WhatsApp allows users to create groups, which can be used to share inappropriate content.
  • In order to keep your children safe from unnecessary events like adult jokes on WhatsApp.
  • To keep kids healthy by minimizing the risk of health disorders that may arise from WhatsApp use.
  • To keep your children focused on important things such as studying and playing outside.

How to Setup Parental Control on WhatsApp?

Does WhatsApp have parental controls? With WhatsApp privacy settings, you can easily and commonly employ WhatsApp parental controls. Here are the steps and instructions for setting up WhatsApp parental controls.

Blocking Someone on WhatsApp

Step - 1: To set up parental controls on the child's WhatsApp account, inside the Settings menu and select "Account”.

Step - 2: Next, select "Privacy". From there, you'll be able to restrict access to your child's profile photo, status, and "last seen" information. 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 contact list, the person will not be able to add your child to any WhatsApp random group chats.

Removing visible public information

Also, you can remove visible public information to protect your child’s privacy. To remove visible public information.

  1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
  2. Tap Account > Privacy

Within “Privacy,” you can restrict four different levels of public information: Last seen, profile photo, status, and about.

Our recommendation is to select "Nobody" for the Last Seen, Profile Photo, and Status settings, and "My Contacts" from the About setting. In this way, your child will be able to share information with their contacts while protecting their privacy.

Turn off Live Location

Within privacy, you can check if your child's live location is being shared. As an online safety and privacy precaution, we recommend parents select "Off" for this setting.

Best Parental Control App for WhatsApp

Downloading parental control applications online will allow you to keep an eye on your kids' WhatsApp activity. In addition to controlling and keeping an eye on social media activity, these tools also track chat history, calls, SMS, and cell phone usage.

The following are some of the 3 best parental control software for WhatsApp:

1. Fenced.ai

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Fenced.ai is a type of parental control solution intended to help parents manage the screen time of their children. Using it, parents can restrict how much time their children can invest on their devices, as well as what types of content they can access. Fenced.ai provides parents with information on their children's device usage, so they can see how their children are using their devices and make sure they are staying safe online.

Features

  • Internet usage tracking
  • Employee activity monitoring
  • Alerts/notification
  • Location tracking

2. Mobilespy.io

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Mobilespy.io is a parental surveillance app that allows you to monitor your child's activities on their mobile device. You can see which apps they are using, what websites they are visiting, and how much time they are spending on their phone. You can also set limits on their phone usage and block certain apps and websites.

Mobilespy.io is a great choice for parents who want to keep tabs on their child's mobile phone usage. Besides being easy to use, it offers a lot of features that other parental control apps do not offer.

Features

  • Location tracking
  • Works without root or jailbreak on both Android and iOS platforms respectively
  • Social media apps tracking
  • Call and contact tracking
  • Voice capture

3. Bark

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The Bark parental control app lets parents keep an eye on their children's online activities. It works by monitoring your child's device for signs of activity that could be harmful, such as cyberbullying, sexting, and online predators. Bark also sends you alerts if it detects something that may be a cause for concern. You can then decide how to handle the situation, whether that means talking to your child about it or taking action to protect them.

Bark is just one of many parental control apps on the market, but it is one of the most popular and well-reviewed. You might be looking for an option to keep your child safe online, Bark is a great option to consider.

Features

  • Manage Screen Time
  • Filters which websites your child can visit
  • Detect cyberbullying, online predators, and social isolation with alerts.
  • Monitors social media activities

Conclusion

WhatsApp parental control can help you monitor and control your child's activity on the messaging app. With this feature, you can peek into your child's chat history, when they are chatting, and what kind of messages they are sending. You can also set up restrictions on who your child can chat with and what kind of content they can share on other social media apps.

The purpose of WhatsApp parental control is to protect your child online. Keeping an eye on their activity on the app, you can ensure that they are not being cyberbullied or sharing inappropriate content. With the right settings in place, you can give your child the freedom to use WhatsApp without worry.

Here, I have mentioned some of the best WhatsApp parental control software. Please check our blog for more information about setting parental control on iPhones and iPads.

FAQ

Can parental control applications see WhatsApp messages?

Yes, after the parental control app is installed on the target device you can see WhatsApp messages. They are third-party apps that see everything done on/by the target device, including WhatsApp messages.

How do I monitor my child's WhatsApp messages?

You can monitor your child’s WhatsApp messages by using WhatsApp web. However, you must scan the QR code from the target device. Also, you can use parental control applications like fenced.ai to monitor your child’s WhatsApp messages.

Can anyone see my Whatsapp chat history?

Whatsapp personal chats are end-to-end encrypted, so it is not possible to see WhatsApp chat history.

How to Backup or Transfer WhatsApp to New Phone?

Here are the steps you can take to backup or transfer your WhatsApp messages to a new phone:

  • You should ensure that both your old and new phones have the latest WhatsApp version.
  • Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup on your old phone.
  • You can create a backup of your chats by tapping the "Back Up" button. Depending on your phone's settings, messages, photos, and videos will be saved to your phone's internal storage or an external SD card.
  • Transfer the backup file to your computer using a USB cable from your old phone.
  • On your new phone, install WhatsApp and verify your phone number.
  • To restore your chats from the backup file, select "Restore". You will be able to restore your messages, photos, and videos to your new phone by doing this.
  • To restore your chats from an iPhone to an Android phone, or vice versa, you'll need to transfer the backup file using Google Drive. You can do this by following the same steps as above, but choosing "Back Up to Google Drive" instead of "Back Up". On your new phone, tap on "Restore from Google Drive" when prompted.

Note: Switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, or vice versa, will require you to transfer your WhatsApp account to the new phone. You will be able to transfer your chats, contacts, and other account information.

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