Does Canopy monitor WhatsApp Private Messages on a child's iPhone?
To monitor private messages on WhatsApp while using an iPhone, parents may need to consider some alternatives to the Canopy app.
If you're a parent who wants to monitor your child's iPhone, you might have wondered if it's possible to use an app like Canopy to monitor private messages your child receives on WhatsApp. Canopy can't monitor private messages between WhatsApp users or other activity that might be a risk for your child if they are using an iPhone or iPad, but fortunately, some alternatives reliably capture this kind of activity on iOS.
Because of privacy features on Apple iOS devices, end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, and the specific technique Canopy uses to monitor activity, it isn't able to monitor private messages on WhatsApp.
The only foolproof way to monitor a kid's iPhone and WhatsApp activity is to use a monitoring app that records the entire screen.
Fortunately, monitoring apps like LivingRoom , which use screenshot-based monitoring, can capture all activity on a child's iPhone, including social media apps like WhatsApp.
Alternatives to Canopy that can monitor WhatsApp private messages
There are a few parental control apps, like the LivingRoom app for Families , that capture all activity on an iPhone by periodically capturing screenshots of your child's entire screen. A parent can review these screenshots to see activity.
With screenshot monitoring, you can see all activity on WhatsApp, including private messages, friend requests sent to your child, and much more.
Additionally, parents can create a parent-managed WhatsApp account for their child to set additional restrictions and monitor some (although not all) activity. This is effectively parental controls for WhatsApp.
See our parents' guide to WhatsApp parental controls for our walkthrough.
If you decide to use a parent-managed account to monitor your child's activity on WhatsApp, you (as a parent) won't be able to see the content of messages sent to your child without physically inspecting their iPhone. However, you can use it to ensure sensitive content is restricted.