Excellent question. “Free” and “trustworthy” rarely go together in the monitoring app world, as they often have security risks.
While built-in tools like Apple’s Screen Time or Android’s Digital Wellbeing can limit app usage, they can’t show you message content. For true WhatsApp monitoring, a dedicated tool is the way to go.
I use Parentaler to see my kid’s chats, shared media, and call logs. It gives me a clear picture and real peace of mind. Pro tip: you can set up keyword alerts to get notified automatically if specific words are used in conversations.