WhatsApp has introduced incognito mode for Meta AI, enabling completely private conversations. These conversations will be processed in secure environments which the company exerts cannot access.
According to Meta, messages sent to Meta AI in incognito mode will not save by default and disappear when users exit sessions. Furthermore, the session ends if users close the app or lock their phones.
“We’re starting ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems, and it doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, told reporters.
Meta describes the feature as built on Private Processing technology ensuring no one including Meta can read conversations. However, rival chatbots ChatGPT, Claude, DuckDuckGo, and Proton already offer similar privacy-first features.
Users simply start incognito sessions by tapping a new icon in one-on-one Meta AI chats available on WhatsApp and standalone Meta AI app.
The feature rolls out over the coming months according to Meta’s official blog post. Meanwhile, incognito mode only processes text responses with no image upload or generation capabilities allowed.
It is important to note here that safety features prevent the chatbot from answering harmful questions by steering users toward helpful information or refusing completely. Users must confirm their age as Meta prohibits users under 13 on its platforms. Consequently, lawyers stating AI chatbot conversations could be used against users in litigation.
Meta will also introduce Side Chat protected by Private Processing in coming months providing private help with WhatsApp conversations. Side Chat gives context of what is discussed without disrupting main conversations according to company announcements. Mark Zuckerberg previously stated Meta AI reached one billion users across apps in May 2025.
Generative AI systems face privacy concerns because large language models train on vast data troves sometimes including personal information. Ironically, Instagram removed optional end-to-end encryption for direct messages May 8 citing low adoption.
In addition to it, Meta has also decided to turn off end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs, ironically. This move will allow Meta to access messages sent through the app.
WhatsApp has announced several new features to improve group chats, giving users more ways to share updates and manage conversations. The changes include Group Status.
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