The restrictions, which the French authorities do not want to call a closure, will apply for a month in a number of regions from north to south.
21 million inhabitants are covered by the new measures.
Unnecessary activities are forced to close and a travel ban is introduced for the Paris region, which has meant that many have already left the area for other places where the restrictions are not as strict.
The trains from Paris, one of the worst infected areas in the country, to Brittany and southwestern France, among others, were fully booked on Thursday, reports AFP.
Macron: Not a shutdown
However, the country's schools are kept open and training activities outdoors, but no more than ten kilometers from home, remain allowed.
- We want to slow down the virus without shutting ourselves in.
It's not to be shut down.
Strictly speaking, the word "lockdown" is not fair, said President Emanuel Macron on Friday, writes AFP.
At the same time, the President has been clear that the new restrictions can, if necessary, be extended to include more of the country's regions depending on the infection situation.