- By Alex David
- Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
WhatsApp is developing a new security feature that aims to offer protection to users from targeted state-sponsored cyberattacks. The functionality is known as “Strict Account Settings” and was recently unearthed in the WhatsApp beta for Android (v2.25.33.4) by feature tracker WABetaInfo. While the in-development mode is not available for public testing yet, it looks like it’s just one part of Meta’s wider effort to bolster user privacy given the surge in phishing and spyware abuse that has hit messaging apps.
Here’s what is known so far about how WhatsApp’s new lockdown-style security feature will function and the protections it will offer.
What Is WhatsApp’s ‘Strict Account Settings’ Mode?
The Strict Account Settings mode is an optional configuration that provides increased security. It’s designed for users who are at high risk of targeted hacking and surveillance, such as journalists, activists, or people working in industries handling sensitive data.
Rather than tweaking a number of professorial settings, users can turn on a single switch to grant themselves all the most ironclad security at one time. This one-touch lockdown will adjust a number of privacy, communication, and account-protection settings for the highest degree of safety.
Key Security Features Expected in Strict Account Settings
The feature is designed as a multi-layered defence system, combining existing and new protections to safeguard user identity and data.
1. IP Address Protection During Calls
With the feature, voice and video calls will be directly connected through WhatsApp servers, which means your IP address and location will remain hidden from strangers. So even if a hacker started the call, they can't trace where the user is located or any details about their network.
2. Blocking Media and File Attachments from Unknown Senders
To help protect you from malware and phishing, Strict Mode will now prevent downloads of images, videos, audio and documents coming from unknown accounts. We will only send SMS to these types of users and therefore we are reducing the risk related to receiving a file that can harm your operating system.
3. Disabling Link Previews
Link previews—those snippets that appear when you send or receive a URL—can sometimes expose users’ IP addresses to external servers. With Strict Mode on, link previews will be disabled entirely, preventing indirect tracking or metadata leaks.
4. Muting and Filtering Unknown Calls
Unknown or unsaved numbers will be muted automatically, helping prevent spam, scam attempts, and zero-click attacks that exploit missed-call vulnerabilities.
5. Restricted Group Invitations
Only saved contacts will be able to add users to group chats or send group invites. This measure blocks spammers or malicious actors from adding unsuspecting users to unwanted groups.
6. Profile Privacy Enhancements
Personal details like profile photo, status, and last seen timestamp will automatically be limited to “Contacts Only” — hiding this information from unknown or suspicious accounts.
7. Automatic Two-Step Verification
With Strict Mode, you have to enter a PIN during the login or reinstallation process, so there's no fooling around. This is a crucial deterrent to SIM swapping or account hijacking.
8. Security Alerts for Encryption Code Changes
Should a contact’s key change for any reason, Signal users will now receive an in-chat, real-time notification of the security change to verify it matches recipient expectations — thereby “preventing man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attacks during their conversation.
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Additional Anti-Spam Measure: Limiting Messages from Unknown Accounts
WhatsApp is also apparently working on a new spam-blocking feature that restricts the messages received from people who aren’t in your contacts to just five at a time. By finding high volume user accounts that are new and spammy, WhatsApp can automatically limit spam and the flood of unplanned messages from users who the receiver does not know, making communication markedly safer.
Rollout Timeline and Availability
Strict Account Settings is still in development and not yet accessible, even to beta testers. WhatsApp's past track record indicates that Strict Account Settings will likely first roll out to Android users before being available on iOS devices; public beta testing could begin as early as 2026 with stable roll-out by later that year.
Final Thoughts
WhatsApp's forthcoming 'strict account settings' mode indicates a potential new direction for pro-active user protection in the face of emerging threats from spyware, phishing and illegal surveillance. With a combination of IP- in masked decentralization, more potent media moderation and automatically turned on two factor authentication this will likely revolutionize mobile messaging security for high threat profiles.
Once released, it will offer a welcome safety net for those who want more than standard encryption — a lockdown-style defense system for the digital age.