WhatsApp is rolling out new features aimed at enhancing group chat functionality and bolstering user privacy against cyber threats. These updates include member tags, text stickers, and improved event reminders, alongside a new Strict Account Settings feature for heightened security.

• New features for group chats include member tags, text stickers, and enhanced event reminders, announced on January 7, 2026.
• The Strict Account Settings feature offers a lockdown-style security option for users like journalists and public figures, restricting account settings to the most private levels.
• This security feature, rolling out over the coming weeks, blocks attachments and media from unsaved contacts and complements WhatsApp's default end-to-end encryption.