According to Digital Trends, WhatsApp is working on a major security upgrade that could fundamentally change how users protect their accounts. The messaging giant is developing a “Strict account settings” feature that bundles multiple critical privacy protections into a single toggle. This one-tap solution will automatically block media and attachments from unknown senders, disable potentially dangerous link previews, and silence calls from numbers not in your contacts. It will also restrict group invites to existing contacts while enabling two-step verification and protecting your IP address during calls. The feature even monitors for security code changes in encrypted chats, alerting you if something suspicious happens with a contact. Basically, it’s a comprehensive lockdown mode for when you need maximum protection without the configuration headache.
Sponsored content — provided for informational and promotional purposes.
Why this actually matters
Here’s the thing about security settings – most people never touch them. They’re buried in menus, confusing to configure, and easy to ignore until it’s too late. WhatsApp‘s approach recognizes that the best security is the security people actually use. By making it one tap instead of ten separate toggles, they’re dramatically lowering the barrier to protection.
And let’s be honest – who hasn’t gotten those random “Hi dear” messages from unknown numbers with sketchy attachments? Or the spam calls from international numbers at 3 AM? This feature basically says “enough already” and gives you a nuclear option. The fact that it enables two-step verification automatically is huge too – that’s one of those “I know I should set this up but I’ll do it later” features that people constantly postpone.
Who really benefits here?
Obviously this is great for people who are actively being targeted – journalists, activists, business leaders. But honestly? It might be even more valuable for your grandma. Or your less tech-savvy friends who constantly forward those suspicious “free iPhone” messages. The beauty is that it doesn’t require understanding why each setting matters – just that you want to be safe.
Think about it – how many people even know that WhatsApp reveals your IP address during calls? Or that you can disable link previews to avoid tracking? These are powerful privacy features that most users don’t know exist, let alone how to enable them. Now they’ll get all of them with one decision.
The bigger picture
This move feels like part of a broader trend in tech – simplifying complex security into understandable choices. We’re seeing this everywhere from iPhone’s Lockdown Mode to Google’s security checkups. The industry is finally realizing that asking users to become cybersecurity experts isn’t working.
The feature is still in development according to WABetaInfo’s latest findings, so we might see some tweaks before it rolls out. But the direction is clear: security shouldn’t be complicated. If this works well, I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar bundled protection features across other Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
So when can you get it? No timeline yet, but given it’s already appearing in beta code, we’re probably looking at months rather than years. Honestly, it can’t come soon enough – the scam messages aren’t getting any smarter, but they are getting more numerous.
