WhatsApp's Strict account settings is an optional, lockdown-style security mode that switches on a bundle of privacy and security controls at once to protect an account from sophisticated cyber attacks. It works by limiting what your account can do: settings lock to their most private options and chats with people outside your contacts get restrictions.
Here's the catch, straight from WhatsApp's Help Center as of October 2026: the feature is built for the very few people who may be targets of such attacks, and WhatsApp says you should only turn it on if you think you may be the target of a sophisticated cyber campaign. Most people aren't. It also can't be switched on or off from WhatsApp Web, only from your primary phone.
So for the average person reading this, the better question is which of the individual settings inside it you'd like to use on their own. That's what the rest of this page sorts out.
Everything Strict mode switches on or locks
| Area | What changes with Strict account settings on |
|---|---|
| Account security | Two-step verification is turned on. Security notifications are turned on and locked. End-to-end encrypted backups are encouraged if you already back up. |
| Messaging and media | Link previews are turned off. Blocking of high volumes of messages from unknown accounts is turned on. |
| Profile and presence | Last seen and online, profile photo, About and the links on your profile are locked to contacts only, or to a more selective list you've already set. |
| Groups | Only known contacts, or that more selective list, can add you to groups. |
The word that matters in that table is locked. Normally you can change each of these settings individually. With Strict mode on, they're held at the private option, which is what makes it a lockdown rather than a set of suggestions.
Who WhatsApp built it for
WhatsApp is unusually direct about this. It describes Strict account settings as an advanced security feature for the very few users who may be targeted by sophisticated attacks, and it states that most people aren't targeted that way. The test is the one WhatsApp gives: do you have a real reason to think someone is running a targeted campaign against your account?
If the answer is no, the trade-off is mostly cost. You lose link previews, people who aren't in your contacts will find it harder to reach you, and group invites from new people won't get through. For someone who uses WhatsApp to meet new clients or join community groups, that friction adds up fast.
Strict mode vs restricted chat
People often mix these two up, but they work at different levels. Strict account settings changes your whole account. Restricted chat is a per-chat control that limits how people in one conversation can share its messages and media outside WhatsApp.
On the latest version of WhatsApp, Restricted chat is replacing the older Advanced chat privacy, and it adds a new control that stops people using linked devices in that chat. WhatsApp says this helps prevent unofficial clients or AI agents getting into the conversation. When Restricted chat is on, people in the chat:
- can't automatically save media to their device gallery
- can't use Meta AI features in that chat
- can't use linked devices for that chat
In a group, admins switch it on. In a one-to-one chat, either person can. It only works from your primary phone, and it's only on the latest version of the app. A few limits are worth knowing: chats that already had Advanced chat privacy won't update to Restricted chat automatically, you won't be told if someone in the chat is on an older version that may still allow unofficial clients, and it isn't available in chats with businesses that use Meta to store messages and reply for them.
The lighter route: privacy checkup
If Strict mode is more than you need, WhatsApp's privacy checkup lets you pick and choose. Go to Settings, then Privacy, and you'll find guidance split into four areas:
- Choose who can contact you: who can add you to groups, silencing unknown callers and your blocked contacts.
- Control your personal info: who sees your profile photo, last seen and online, plus read receipts.
- Add more privacy to your chats: a fingerprint lock to open chats, your default message timer and end-to-end encrypted backups.
- Add more protection to your account: two-step verification, a passkey for face, fingerprint or screen lock sign-in, and a recovery email.
Most of what Strict mode forces on is available here one setting at a time. Two-step verification is the obvious one to switch on regardless; our guide to WhatsApp two-step verification walks through it, and a WhatsApp passkey adds another layer on top.
Unknown callers and suspicious messages
One control that sits close to Strict mode in spirit is Silence unknown callers. WhatsApp says anyone with your number can call you, and when an unknown number rings, it shows whether they're a contact, any groups you share and which country the number is registered in. Turn on Silence unknown callers and those calls still appear in the Calls tab and notifications, but your phone won't ring. If you call or message that person, you can't silence their calls in future.
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WhatsApp's scam guidance asks three questions about any unsaved contact: are they using an unknown number, are they threatening you or asking you to trust them, and are they asking you to send money or share a password, PIN or personal information? If you can't verify who they are, stop replying, block and report them, then tighten your privacy settings and turn on two-step verification. Our round-up of common WhatsApp scams shows what these look like in practice.
Turning it on: what to expect
WhatsApp's help article says Strict account settings can only be turned on or off from your primary device, never from WhatsApp Web. Before you flip it, check two things. First, if two-step verification isn't set up yet, Strict mode will switch it on, so expect it to be on afterwards. Second, think about who reaches you from outside your contacts, because they'll hit the new limits straight away.
Because the profile and group settings lock to contacts only or to a list you've already built, it's worth setting up that more selective list first if you want a few non-contacts to keep access.
My verdict
Strict account settings is the right tool for a small group of people and the wrong one for nearly everyone else, and WhatsApp says as much. If you have reason to believe you're being targeted, switch it on from your phone today and don't look back. If you don't, I'd skip it and spend five minutes in privacy checkup instead: turn on two-step verification, add a passkey, set last seen and profile photo to My contacts and silence unknown callers. You'll get most of the protection without cutting yourself off from new people.
Frequently asked questions
What are Strict account settings on WhatsApp?
It's an optional, lockdown-style security mode that turns on and locks a set of privacy and security controls to protect accounts from sophisticated cyber attacks. It limits functionality, including chats with people outside your contacts.
Who should use WhatsApp Strict account settings?
WhatsApp says it's built for the very few people who may be the target of sophisticated cyber attacks, and that you should only turn it on if you think you may be one. Most people aren't targeted this way.
Can I turn on Strict account settings from WhatsApp Web?
No. WhatsApp says you can only turn Strict account settings on or off from your primary device, not from WhatsApp Web.
What does Strict account settings turn off?
Link previews are turned off, high volumes of messages from unknown accounts are blocked, and your last seen, profile photo, About and profile links are locked to contacts or a more selective list.
What is restricted chat on WhatsApp?
It's a per-chat setting that stops people in that chat auto-saving media, using Meta AI features or using linked devices for it. It's replacing Advanced chat privacy on the latest version of WhatsApp.
Is privacy checkup the same as Strict account settings?
No. Privacy checkup is step-by-step guidance in Settings, then Privacy, where you choose each setting yourself. Strict account settings turns a group of them on and locks them in one go.
