WhatsApp's new Restricted Chat blocks linked devices
The Android beta swaps Advanced Chat Privacy for restricted chats, now locked to your primary device
Turn on one switch in a WhatsApp chat, and your linked devices can no longer read it. That's the headline change in WhatsApp restricted chats, which are now rolling out to some Android beta testers.
Restricted Chat is the new name for Advanced Chat Privacy. This was because of confusion among some users who thought their chats were not secure without it. However, WhatsApp had been securing their chats and calls through end-to-end encryption.
The name is derived from its primary objective is optional control and not security. It was first introduced in beta version 2.26.36.4.
How to turn on WhatsApp restricted chats on Android
You can enable "Restricted Chat" from the chat info screen. It's disabled by default; hence, it needs to be turned on by you.
The function is available in beta version 2.26.39.11 on Google Play. Currently, it functions within an individual chat and not within group chats.
When a chat is restricted, the guidelines apply to all participants in the chat. The WhatsApp stops backing up the chat media into the gallery. No one will be able to export the chat. Meta AI features are disabled in the chat. And the chat will not be accessible on any connected devices.
A system message pops up in the chat indicating that all messages can only be sent and received using the primary device.
Chats under the old Advanced Chat Privacy stayed available on linked devices, so this is the new restriction. According to the source, unofficial clients and AI agents rely on linked devices to read conversations. Cutting that link closes the door for restricted chats.
That also holds if someone in the chat has connected an unofficial tool to their account.
