WhatsApp is a messaging app that lets users send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, and other media types, like stickers or GIFs. Users can create group chats and initiate conversations with contacts using their phone number. WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it’s no different for kids: Qustodio’s 2024 report on kids’ app habits showed that globally, WhatsApp was the most popular communication app for under-18s.
What can kids do on WhatsApp?
There’s a reason that WhatsApp has become one of the most-used messaging apps out there, for adults and teens alike. It has many different features, all designed to help us stay connected with friends and family, such as texting, voice messaging, and voice and video calls – for free. Users can send pictures, documents, and use interactive features such as polls, reactions, and stickers. Other features like location sharing can also be enabled to help find friends and family members on a map, or a designated meeting point.
To access the application, you need to have a phone number, which usually means that WhatsApp isn’t often on parents’ radars until their child gets their first phone. However, there are multiple ways that people use WhatsApp and riskier features that parents should be aware of.
WhatsApp: the risks parents need to know
Explicit content
WhatsApp has no built-in content moderation or filtering. Kids and teens can easily share links, videos, and other media, which could be explicit or adult in nature, as WhatsApp won’t flag this and the app features no parental controls. By default, all images received by the user are saved to their camera roll, so this means that children could end up with embarrassing or unwanted images on their phone. The custom sticker feature in WhatsApp is fun and creative, but it also means that kids can easily create stickers that are explicit in nature, and quickly share them with friends and contacts.
Disappearing content
Users can send photos and videos with the ”‘view once” feature, meaning that the messages will disappear from the chat after the recipient has opened them, or after 14 days if they remain unopened. Additionally, the photos and videos will not be saved to the recipient’s device, regardless of their settings. Recipients can still screenshot or record “view once” content (although privacy features to prevent this from happening are in development) and that offensive “view once” content can be reported to WhatsApp, even if it has disappeared from the chat.
Group chats
Anyone using WhatsApp can be added to group chats without choosing to, unless the option is switched off. By default, WhatsApp has the “Who can add me to groups” preference set to “Everyone”. This is problematic, as it gives any WhatsApp user (anywhere in the world) the option to add your child to a group chat without their permission. Even after changing this setting, parents should bear in mind that WhatsApp groups each have a unique invitation link, which can be sent via email, SMS, or through another platform, even to users who are not on WhatsApp.
Bullying
Although most children use WhatsApp to communicate in safe, fun, and positive ways, there have been incidents where participating in online group chats has led to bullying behavior. With connectivity comes great responsibility, and if children have issues and problems in school, they can follow them home through devices, where bullies and mean comments can reach them at any time of day or night. Children can be added to group chats, sent hurtful messages, be on the receiving end of offensive photos or videos, and rumors and gossip can easily spread through apps like WhatsApp.
Notifications and “read” status
WhatsApp comes with some default settings that can contribute to a sense of online urgency and being always available. First is the “read” status on messages: a small blue-colored double-tick in the bottom-right corner of every WhatsApp message indicates that it has been read by the recipient. This feature is always on in group chats and can’t be disabled there, but it can be disabled inside individual chats. WhatsApp also has online status features that let other users know how their contacts are using the app: “Last seen” is a timestamp that shows all other users the last time you were active inside your WhatsApp account, and “online” shows your contacts if you are currently using the app.
Privacy concerns
To use WhatsApp, you have to enter your real phone number, which means this could be exposed if kids are added to group chats or conversations with multiple people in them. Anyone with your child’s number could add them to a group chat, potentially putting them in contact with strangers.
While WhatsApp messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted (meaning third parties, including WhatsApp, can’t see the content), the company still collects, stores, and uses data and information supplied by users and collected through the app, much like most apps do. For example, it knows how people are using their services, and the time, frequency, and duration of these activities. WhatsApp may supply some of this information to third parties, which could be considered a privacy risk.
Making WhatsApp safer for kids and teens
WhatsApp requires users to be at least 13 years old before they sign up for the service (or more, depending on the individual requirements in each country). If your child is 13+ and has shown that they’re ready to use messaging services like WhatsApp, or need to use it to keep in contact with friends and family, here are a few of the steps you can take to make the platform safer for your kids:
Add known contacts only
Ensure your child only adds and interacts with contacts that they know in real life. To help prevent them from being added to groups, set the “Who can add me to groups” preference to “My Contacts”, or “My Contacts Except…”. While this can help prevent them from being added by numbers not in their contacts, they also need to be aware that each group on WhatsApp has a unique invitation link that can be shared anywhere online, via text message, email, or direct message. Make sure your child knows this, and teach them to think carefully and critically about joining different groups online, in addition to showing them how to block users and leave groups they don’t want to be a part of.
Change settings to protect their privacy
Use WhatsApp’s inbuilt security settings and customize your child’s app settings to make sure their privacy is protected, and the app experience is safer overall. There are various settings that you can alter:
- Ensure “Live location” is disabled, within both the device and app settings.
- Set “Last seen” and “Online” status to “Nobody” or “Contacts only”.
- Set “Status message” to “Contacts only” and ensure your child knows never to share content on other platforms outside of WhatsApp.
- Turn off the ‘Saved to Camera Roll’ feature and disable automatic downloads, preventing potentially inappropriate content from being saved to your child’s phone.
Disappearing messages can also be turned off, though this is more complex as it requires going in to individual chats, tapping on the contact’s name, and selecting “Off” in the section for disappearing messages. This can be changed by anyone in the chat at any time, so it’s important to talk to your child about the feature and how it works. Ensure your child understands that “disappearing messages” doesn’t necessarily mean that the content will disappear forever, and that they know never to post content that may be risky or could harm or hurt others.
Discuss online bullying with your child
As with all messaging apps, online bullying can be a potential risk. Although most children use WhatsApp to communicate in safe, fun, and positive ways, there have been incidents where participating in online group chats has led to bullying behavior. Before being allowed to use WhatsApp, your child should know and feel comfortable that they can come to you or another trusted adult for help if they ever feel upset or distressed while using the app.
If your child is on the receiving end of online bullying, it could be helpful to take a screenshot of the communication they have found to be upsetting or inappropriate; however, parents should ensure their child knows never to take a screenshot of any image containing nudity, even if it is only for evidence. Make sure your child knows how to report cyberbullying, block users, and understands what it means to be kind on the internet.
Enable two-step verification
Two-step verification on WhatsApp involves creating a six-digit PIN. This PIN must be entered any time your WhatsApp account is registered on a new device. This adds another layer of security to your child’s WhatsApp account. It can protect against unauthorized access, for example, if someone tries to set up your child’s number on a new device, or if hackers get hold of their number or any other personal details.
Monitor and check in on their app use, and how it affects them
You can’t completely remove the risk that your child will receive problematic or inappropriate content, or be contacted by strangers online, but you can keep a close eye on their digital experience and help them to make sense of it, together. Qustodio’s monitoring features allow parents to be notified when they send or receive concerning messages. Qustodio’s AI-powered alerts monitor both traditional messaging and WhatsApp, letting you know right away if there’s something you need to be aware of, from bullying and self-harm to school absences and health worries. This helps to give your child privacy while also checking in on them when potential issues arise.
WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used communication apps globally, so in many countries it’s not a case of “if”, but “when” they use the messaging app. That said, parents should help their child configure WhatsApp settings and carefully consider age-appropriate use, along with frequently talking to them and supporting them with issues that can affect teens and young people on communication apps, such as bullying and the pressure to be present online.
