WhatsApp seems to be enhancing its chat privacy for users. @WABetaInfo revealed yesterday that WhatsApp is rolling out the Restricted Chat feature on Android beta. The feature limits specific chats to the primary mobile device only, cutting off access from linked devices and AI agents that connect through linked device channels.
The same publication has now revealed that this feature was spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS.
WhatsApp is rolling out the Restricted Chat feature on iOS beta!
WhatsApp is introducing an important upgrade for the advanced chat privacy feature.https://t.co/3MGxfZ6iEQ pic.twitter.com/BPm1R6DJdE
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) October 2, 2026
Restricted chat feature on iOS beta
The feature was spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.39.10.20 update, which is available on TestFlight. It is said that the feature is currently restricted to a limited number of beta users.
Users can restrict their conversations directly from the chat info screen. When users open the new screen, WhatsApp makes it easier to understand which restrictions the app applies before enabling the feature. Once you activate the toggle, WhatsApp applies four restrictions for everyone in the conversation who installs the latest version of WhatsApp.
At the moment, the feature is only available to individual chats. The four restrictions that Restricted Chat enables are:
- It is not possible to save media from the chat to the device gallery automatically.
- Users cannot export the conversation and use Meta AI features in the chat.
- Restricted chats add another layer of protection by preventing anyone in the conversation from accessing it through linked devices.
- The conversation is not available on linked devices, and any AI agent added by other people cannot read the messages in the chat.
Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted, regardless of whether the feature is active or not. Only the people in the conversation can read or hear them.
The advanced chat privacy feature was optional, so users could enable it only when they needed this protection. With restricted chats, the feature is still optional, so it is up to the user to enable it.
As mentioned above, the feature is available to some users who install the latest update from TestFlight. Since WhatsApp is gradually rolling it out, some users may have to wait a little longer before they can enable the feature.
