WhatsApp tests a private Side Chat that lets users consult Meta AI inside conversations

WhatsApp has begun a limited test of a new feature called Side Chat, which lets users get help from Meta AI directly inside an existing conversation without revealing the request to other chat participants, or, according to Meta, even to Meta itself. The rollout is currently limited to a small number of users.

The feature is designed for moments when someone wants to understand a message, get a summary of a conversation, or draft a better reply without copying the chat into a separate window. Users access it from within the conversation through an option labeled “Ask privately,” which opens a dedicated side panel tied only to that chat.

Meta says the AI can use the conversation context to explain unclear messages, summarize threads, and help formulate responses. Side Chat also supports Web Search, allowing Meta AI to look up current information online and return relevant answers. That capability, too, is controlled through the app’s privacy settings and can be disabled by the user.

The company says Side Chat runs through its Private Processing system, with requests handled in a secure, isolated environment so that neither Meta nor WhatsApp can access or retain message content after processing. The feature will not work in chats with disappearing messages enabled or in conversations protected by Advanced Chat Privacy, which blocks AI tools from using the chat content. Use of Side Chat is entirely optional, and WhatsApp says the test is being expanded to a limited group of Android and iPhone users, with no timeline yet for a global launch.