WhatsApp Launches Strict Account Settings to Stop Attacks

WhatsApp is introducing a new security feature designed to harden user accounts against potential cyberattacks. Known as “Strict Account Settings,” the tool functions as a lockdown mode that curtails specific app functionalities to minimize the surface area for malicious activity.

The rollout follows a recent lawsuit filed against Meta, which alleges that the company has made misleading claims regarding the privacy of its messaging platform. While the legal challenge claims Meta has the capability to access supposedly private communications, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart has publicly dismissed the allegations, describing the case as a “no-merit, headline-seeking lawsuit.”

How the Lockdown Mode Works

When enabled, the Strict Account Settings feature enforces a series of restrictive defaults aimed at shielding the user. These protections include:

• Automated Blocking: The app automatically blocks media and attachments sent by unknown users.
• Call Filtering: Incoming calls from numbers not in the user’s contact list are silenced.
• Enhanced Privacy: Link previews are disabled, and profile details—including “last seen,” online status, profile photos, and “about” information—are restricted exclusively to contacts.
• Group Management: Only contacts or pre-approved individuals gain the permission to add the user to groups.
• Authentication: Enabling this mode forces two-step verification and activates security notifications, which alert the user if a contact’s security code changes.

Meta describes the feature as a “lockdown-style” tool specifically tailored for public figures, journalists, and others who may be targets for digital harassment or intrusion. The company notes that the setting is entirely optional and serves to reduce vulnerability by limiting standard app behavior.

Configuration and Availability

The feature will reach the global user base over the coming weeks. To activate the protection, users must navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advanced. Notably, Meta has specified that this configuration can only be managed from the account’s primary device, preventing changes from being made via companion platforms like WhatsApp for Web or the Windows desktop application.