What you need to know
WhatsApp is embarking on an innovative journey with the introduction of its “Message Summaries” feature, designed to streamline the way users navigate through their private chats. This new capability, powered by Meta AI, aims to alleviate the overwhelm of multiple unread messages by providing a succinct overview.
When users find themselves in a chat filled with numerous unread messages, a helpful banner will appear at the top of the conversation. By tapping this banner, users can activate the summarization feature, which will distill the key points of the conversation into bullet points. This includes mentions of individuals by name, ensuring that users are well-informed and can easily catch up on discussions.
Currently, this feature is being rolled out to English-speaking users in the U.S., with plans to expand its availability to other languages and regions later this year. In a move that underscores WhatsApp’s commitment to user privacy, the summaries generated by Meta AI will remain confidential, accessible only to the users themselves and not to Meta or the platform.
In addition to the Message Summaries feature, WhatsApp has taken steps to enhance user privacy by rolling out this feature disabled by default. Users have the option to enable it within their settings. Furthermore, WhatsApp’s “Advanced Chat Privacy” settings allow users to control which chats can utilize the AI features, providing an additional layer of customization.
About ten days prior, WhatsApp introduced an update aimed at enhancing the experience for users who leverage the platform for business purposes. This update included the rollout of “Ads in Status,” designed to facilitate growth for both small and large businesses by enabling them to reach broader audiences with ease.
Additionally, WhatsApp has launched “Promoted Channels,” which utilizes a limited amount of data to recommend channels that may pique users’ interest. Other recent updates include new video call effects and a more efficient way for users to share emoji reactions, further enriching the user experience.
On the technological front, Meta AI continues to evolve, recently unveiling a dedicated app powered by Llama-4. This app aims to compete with Gemini and introduces features such as Live Translation and AI discussions, along with a “pick up where you left off” functionality, enhancing the overall user interaction.
