January 7, 2026, 1:05 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
WhatsApp requires a minimum age of 13 for registration. However, in many countries, the age for legal capacity to use online accounts is significantly higher. In Germany, it is 18 years. Below this legal threshold, parents or guardians must set up a WhatsApp account for their children. The messaging service aims to simplify this process with an additional child account.
According to “WABetaInfo,” WhatsApp is currently testing so-called secondary accounts in the beta for Android (version 2.26.1.30), specifically designed for children. This special account is intended to be linked to a parent’s primary account and offer only limited functions.
The connection between the two accounts is meant to enable overarching management—without providing insight into private content. Messages and calls remain protected and are not visible to the primary account. WhatsApp aims to separate supervision and privacy.
More Control Over Privacy and Contacts
After linking, parents should be able to review and set various privacy settings for the secondary account. A key point is controlling who can contact the secondary account. By default, messages and calls should only be possible from saved contacts—this restriction is not possible with a regular WhatsApp account. Preventing online contact with unknown individuals is particularly important for minors.
Also of interest: WhatsApp Accounts Are Secretly Taken Over
Activity Information Without Content
WhatsApp sends certain information about the account and chat activity of the secondary child account to the primary account. Exactly what data is included is not yet known. However, the service makes it clear that it does not involve content from chats or calls. End-to-end encryption remains fully intact.
Instead, “WABetaInfo” suspects that the data includes general usage hints or changes to important settings. The new features are still in development. WhatsApp is currently testing integration into existing account settings and working on a user-friendly interface. A release is planned for a future update.