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Explained: What is WhatsApp’s Strict Account Settings and how to use it
On the privacy front, last seen status, online presence, profile photo, About information and profile links are restricted to contacts only.
The company said the feature is designed to reduce vulnerability by limiting how unknown users can interact with an account.
WhatsApp has rolled out a new privacy and security option called Strict Account Settings, a lockdown-style feature aimed at reducing users’ exposure to scams, harassment and cyberattacks. The setting bundles multiple restrictive controls into a single switch, allowing users to tighten account security without manually adjusting individual options.
The company said the feature is designed to reduce vulnerability by limiting how unknown users can interact with an account. WhatsApp informed that the setting is particularly useful for journalists, activists and public figures, though it is available to all users.
What are Strict Account Settings on WhatsApp?
Strict Account Settings is an optional security mode that automatically applies a set of enhanced privacy and safety protections. Instead of toggling multiple controls separately, users can enable a single setting that restricts contact from unknown numbers and locks the account to more private defaults.WhatsApp has described the feature as a lockdown-style option that limits functionality in order to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and unwanted contact.
What changes when the setting is enabled
When Strict Account Settings is switched on, WhatsApp automatically blocks media files and attachments sent by unknown contacts. Calls from numbers not saved in a user’s contacts are silenced, while link previews are disabled to reduce the risk of malicious links.The app also activates its protection against high volumes of messages from unknown accounts. Two-step verification is enabled by default, alongside security notifications that alert users when the encryption code of a contact they are chatting with changes.
On the privacy front, last seen status, online presence, profile photo, About information and profile links are restricted to contacts only. Group privacy is also tightened, with only contacts or pre-approved people able to add a user to WhatsApp groups.
How to enable Strict Account Settings
Users can enable the feature by navigating to Settings, then Privacy, then Advanced, and turning on Strict Account Settings. WhatsApp has informed that the setting can only be changed from a user’s primary device and cannot be modified through companion platforms such as WhatsApp Web or desktop apps.
The feature is being rolled out gradually over the coming weeks, meaning it may not be immediately visible to all users.
Who should use the feature
Strict Account Settings is likely to be most useful for users who are frequent targets of spam, phishing attempts or harassment, including journalists, creators, business owners and individuals whose phone numbers are widely shared online. For everyday users, the setting offers a simpler way to lock down privacy and security without the need to manage multiple individual controls.
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