Simple Fix: Whatsapp Contact Listings & Apple Parental Control

Problem

WhatsApp installed on an iPhone managed with Apple Parental Control .
WhatsApp chats are listed with phone numbers only. That is odd because people are used to see a chat list of contacts.

Solution

Two mains steps are needed (plus an optional step) to display contact names in WhatsApp chat listing instead of phone numbers:

  1. on the kids’ iPhone: turn on contacts for WhatsApp in iOS settings
  2. disable content & privacy restriction in parental control settings on parent’s iPhone 
  3. (re)enable content privacy restriction in parental control settings in the parent’s iPhone
Chats are listed with phone numbers only (left phone)
allow WhatsApp to access contact iOS settings is off
turn on contacts for whatsapp in iOS settings
to be disabled: content & privacy restriction in parental control settings on parent’s iPhone 
disable content & privacy restriction in parental control settings on parent’s iPhone 

Now, WhatsApp lists chats with contact names – iff contacts are saved on the kid’s iPhone.

Chats with people not stored in contacts are still listed with phone numbers (last item on the left phone above). Just add those numbers to the contacts. You can add contacts to the kids iPhone using family sharing: using Family Sharing, you can view, edit, add, or delete your child’s contacts

Please note: WhatsApp specific privacy settings as well as parental control on WhatsApp are different topics.

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