WhatsApp has introduced a new privacy and security option called Strict Account Settings, a lockdown-style feature aimed at reducing exposure to scams and cyberattacks.
What are Strict Account Settings on WhatsApp?
Strict Account Settings is a new optional security mode designed to limit how strangers can interact with your WhatsApp account. When enabled, it automatically applies a bundle of restrictive privacy controls, rather than requiring users to toggle each setting individually.
WhatsApp describes it as a “lockdown-style” feature that reduces vulnerability to cyberattacks by limiting functionality and tightening who can reach you. The company says it is particularly useful for journalists, activists, and public figures, though it is available to all users.
What changes when you turn it on?
Once Strict Account Settings is enabled, WhatsApp automatically blocks media files and attachments from unknown senders. Calls from numbers that are not in your contacts are silenced, and link previews are disabled to reduce the risk of malicious links.
The app also turns on its setting to block a high volume of messages from unknown accounts. Two-step verification is enabled by default, along with security notifications that alert you if the encryption code of someone you are chatting with changes.
On the privacy side, your last seen status, online presence, profile photo, About section, and profile links become visible only to your contacts. Group invites are also restricted, meaning only your contacts, or specific people you approve, can add you to WhatsApp groups.
How to enable Strict Account Settings
Users can turn on the feature by heading to Settings, then Privacy, then Advanced, and switching on Strict Account Settings. WhatsApp notes that this option can only be changed from your primary device, and not from WhatsApp Web or desktop apps.
The feature is rolling out gradually over the coming weeks, so it may not be visible to all users immediately.
Why the timing matters
The rollout comes shortly after Meta was sued over claims that WhatsApp is misleading users about the privacy of their chats. The lawsuit alleges that Meta stores, analyses, and can access WhatsApp communications, despite repeated claims that messages are private.
WhatsApp head Will Cathcart has dismissed the lawsuit as having no merit, reiterating that WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption and that messages cannot be read by the company or Meta. While Strict Account Settings does not change how encryption works, it does add another layer of defence by limiting contact from unknown or potentially harmful sources.
Who should use it?
Strict Account Settings is likely to appeal most to users who are frequent targets of spam, harassment, or phishing attempts. That includes journalists, creators, business owners, and anyone whose phone number is widely shared online. For everyday users, it offers a simpler way to lock down privacy without manually adjusting multiple settings.
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