WhatsApp Restricted Chat: WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new privacy feature for Android that could give users greater control over how selected conversations are accessed across devices. The upcoming Restricted Chat option may allow people to keep specific chats available only on their primary smartphone, preventing them from appearing on WhatsApp Web and other linked devices.
The feature is currently under development and is expected to build on WhatsApp’s existing Advanced Chat Privacy controls. According to WABetaInfo, Restricted Chat has been spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.36.5. However, it has not yet been made available to beta testers, and WhatsApp has not revealed an official release date.
What Is WhatsApp Restricted Chat?
Restricted Chat could introduce an additional layer of privacy for conversations that users consider particularly sensitive.
Under the reported system, users would be able to select individual conversations and mark them as restricted. Once enabled, the selected chat would remain accessible on the primary mobile phone rather than being synchronised with linked devices.
This means the conversation may not appear on platforms such as WhatsApp Web or another connected phone.
The option is expected to be selective rather than a blanket privacy setting. Users would therefore be able to decide which individual chats need this additional level of protection.
Restricted Chats May Stay Off WhatsApp Web
The most notable aspect of the upcoming feature is its potential impact on linked-device access.
Many WhatsApp users connect their accounts to office computers, personal laptops, tablets or secondary smartphones. While this makes messaging more convenient, it also means conversations can appear across multiple screens.
Restricted Chat could address that concern by keeping selected conversations confined to the main smartphone.
For users handling private personal or sensitive discussions, this could provide an extra layer of control over where those messages are displayed.
How Restricted Chat Could Work With Advanced Chat Privacy
WhatsApp already offers Advanced Chat Privacy, which provides additional restrictions for selected conversations. The upcoming Restricted Chat feature is reportedly designed as an extension of those protections.
A restricted conversation could retain several existing privacy measures, including restrictions on exporting the complete chat. Media from the conversation would also not be automatically saved to the phone’s gallery.
Another reported limitation is that messages from a restricted chat would not be available for sharing with Meta AI.
The change in terminology may also make the purpose of the feature easier for users to understand. The earlier name, Advanced Chat Privacy, could potentially give the impression that chats without the setting were less secure.
Why Is WhatsApp Restricting Chats on Linked Devices?
Linked-device functionality has become an important part of the WhatsApp experience, allowing users to access conversations from computers and other connected devices.
However, having chats available across multiple devices can also create additional access points. Third-party tools and unofficial clients may potentially interact with conversations through connected devices.
According to WABetaInfo, restricting certain chats to the primary phone could help prevent linked-device tools and services that connect WhatsApp conversations with AI agents from accessing those particular chats.
When Will WhatsApp Restricted Chat Be Available?
For now, Restricted Chat remains a work-in-progress feature. It has reportedly been identified in WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.36.5, but even beta testers do not currently have access to it.
WhatsApp has also not confirmed when the feature will be released publicly.
If the feature eventually launches, it could give Android users a more straightforward way to keep their most private conversations away from linked screens while continuing to use WhatsApp normally for other chats.