WhatsApp has started rolling out WhatsApp Restricted Chat, a new privacy feature designed to give users greater control over sensitive conversations. The feature is currently being tested with selected users enrolled in WhatsApp’s Android and iOS beta programmes and builds on the privacy protections already offered through Advanced Chat Privacy.
According to WABetaInfo, the new feature is available to some users running WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.36.4 and WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.39.10.20. However, WhatsApp has not yet confirmed when the feature will become available to everyone.
What Is WhatsApp Restricted Chat?
WhatsApp Restricted Chat is an optional feature that adds several restrictions to individual conversations. Unlike some privacy settings that may apply automatically, users have to activate the feature manually from the chat information screen.
After it is enabled, WhatsApp displays a notification inside the conversation informing participants that additional restrictions have been applied. The feature is designed for situations where users want to keep particularly sensitive conversations from being easily copied, exported or accessed through other devices.
Rather than replacing WhatsApp’s existing encryption, Restricted Chat adds another layer of control over how conversation content can be handled.
Four Major Restrictions
The main purpose of WhatsApp Restricted Chat is to limit several actions that could otherwise make private conversations easier to move outside WhatsApp.
When the feature is enabled, users cannot automatically save media from the restricted conversation to their devices. This means photos and videos shared inside the chat will not be automatically stored in the phone’s gallery.
Another restriction prevents users from exporting the conversation. This can make it more difficult to create an external copy of the chat history and move its contents to another location.
The feature also limits access to Meta AI within the conversation. This is particularly relevant as AI-powered tools become increasingly integrated into messaging platforms and can interact with different types of content.
The fourth restriction blocks access to the conversation through linked devices. Users who normally access WhatsApp on computers or additional devices will not be able to open the restricted conversation through those linked sessions.
Protection Against Unofficial Access
One of the more notable aspects of WhatsApp Restricted Chat is its approach to linked devices.
WhatsApp says restricting linked-device access can help prevent conversations from being accessed through unofficial clients or AI agents. This gives users more control over where their private messages can be viewed and potentially processed.
The restriction could be particularly useful for people who exchange confidential information and want to ensure that a conversation remains accessible only through the primary WhatsApp environment on their phone.
It also reflects a wider change in digital privacy, where messaging platforms are increasingly considering how automated tools and third-party applications may interact with personal conversations.
End-to-End Encryption Remains Active
Enabling WhatsApp Restricted Chat does not change the platform’s basic end-to-end encryption system. WhatsApp says messages and calls continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption regardless of whether the new feature is activated.
End-to-end encryption is designed to prevent third parties from reading messages while they are transmitted between participants. Restricted Chat addresses a different part of privacy by limiting what users can do with content after it reaches the conversation.
This distinction is important because encryption alone does not prevent someone from exporting, saving or accessing content through another device. The new restrictions are intended to provide additional controls around those activities.
Who Can Use the Feature?
For now, WhatsApp Restricted Chat is not available to all users. The company has started testing it with a limited number of Android and iOS beta users.
Availability may depend on the specific beta version installed and whether WhatsApp has enabled the feature for an individual account. Installing the latest beta version does not necessarily guarantee access.
The limited rollout allows WhatsApp to collect feedback and identify potential problems before considering a broader release.
Public Release Date Is Unknown
WhatsApp has not announced a confirmed public release date for WhatsApp Restricted Chat. As with many features discovered during beta testing, the company could expand availability gradually after further development and testing.
The feature could become useful for people who regularly handle sensitive conversations and want stronger controls over media, chat exports, AI access and linked devices.
Users who do not see the option will need to wait until WhatsApp expands the rollout. If the company eventually makes Restricted Chat available to everyone, it could become another important privacy tool alongside end-to-end encryption and Advanced Chat Privacy.
