WhatsApp’s Restricted Chat setting is rolling out to some iPhone beta testers as a per-conversation privacy control.
WhatsApp is rolling out Restricted Chat on iPhone beta, bringing a new privacy control for individual conversations that blocks linked-device access and disables chat export for selected one-to-one threads. The setting also stops Meta AI from reading or processing those chats and turns off automatic media saving to the device gallery. The rollout is limited for now, but the feature adds a tighter per-chat lock without changing WhatsApp’s existing end-to-end encryption.
Restricted Chat reaches iPhone beta after Android
Restricted Chat is now appearing in WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.39.10.20, extending a privacy feature that first showed up on Android beta. The earlier Android rollout was tied to version 2.26.39.11, so this is not a brand-new concept inside WhatsApp so much as the iPhone side catching up. For users who move between iPhone and Android fleets, that matters because the same chat-level privacy control is now being tested on both platforms.
The rollout is gradual rather than universal. WhatsApp is only enabling it for some TestFlight beta testers, which means even users on the right build may not see it immediately. In practice, this is still a limited test, not a broad iPhone release.
The chat info setting that locks down one-to-one threads
Restricted Chat applies to individual chats only. It does not cover group chats, and it is not an account-wide privacy switch that changes how every conversation behaves. Instead, it works at the conversation level, giving users a way to lock down specific one-to-one threads that carry more sensitive client, customer, or internal information.
On iPhone, the control replaces the earlier Advanced Chat Privacy label in the chat info screen. That shift matters because it makes the feature more explicit as a dedicated restriction layer tied to a single chat. For teams that use WhatsApp for a mix of routine and sensitive exchanges, the design suggests a simple approach: leave ordinary chats alone, and apply stricter handling only where it is needed.
Linked-device, export, media-saving and Meta AI limits
Turning on Restricted Chat adds four concrete limits. It blocks access to that conversation on linked devices, prevents Meta AI from reading or processing the chat, disables conversation export, and stops media from being saved automatically to the phone’s gallery. Those controls are practical rather than cosmetic: they reduce how easily a sensitive thread can spread across other screens, AI features, or exported files.
For business users, the main use case is containment. A sales note, customer complaint, pricing discussion, or internal coordination thread can stay more tightly scoped to the primary device instead of flowing to linked endpoints or being saved out through normal export paths. That is the real operational change here, especially for people who use WhatsApp across multiple devices or workflows.
End-to-end encryption still stays on in restricted chats. Restricted Chat does not replace WhatsApp’s baseline encryption; it adds extra controls on top of it for selected conversations.
Who gets it now, and what is still unknown
Right now, availability is limited to some TestFlight beta testers, and the rollout remains gradual. Not every eligible iPhone beta user will have the feature yet, and WhatsApp has not confirmed when Restricted Chat will reach the stable app. That leaves this as an early feature to watch rather than a setting most iPhone users can turn on today.
Some details are still open. The exact setup flow inside chat info is not fully described, and it is not clear whether every linked-device type or every AI surface is handled in exactly the same way beyond the restrictions already named. WhatsApp also has not established any effect on backups, compliance archiving, or CRM integrations, so the clearest takeaway for now is narrower: Restricted Chat is a per-conversation privacy layer for one-to-one chats, and on iPhone beta it is starting to give users a more contained way to handle sensitive threads.
Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI. Images are for illustrative purposes only.
About the author
Samarth Agrawal is an AI and technology professional who writes about WhatsApp, automation, and emerging AI trends. He focuses on simplifying complex tech updates into practical insights for businesses, creators, and everyday users
