A new mode coming to WhatsApp will allow users to hold conversations with Meta AI without the company being able to see what is being discussed, Meta has announced.
The feature, called Incognito Chat with Meta AI, is built on the company’s Private Processing infrastructure — the same framework underpinning a separate upcoming tool called Side Chat with Meta AI. Messages exchanged in the mode are not stored and disappear by default, which Meta describes as creating a temporary private space for users.
The announcement addresses a growing concern among users who increasingly turn to AI assistants for sensitive topics — health questions, financial decisions, or personal matters — but remain wary of how their data is handled. Meta argues that rival platforms offering similar “private” or temporary AI chat options can still access user data in the background, a gap it says Incognito Chat is designed to close.
WhatsApp has built much of its identity around encryption since introducing end-to-end encrypted messaging roughly a decade ago. Meta now appears to be extending that philosophy to AI-powered interactions as it pushes deeper integration of artificial intelligence across its platforms.
Side Chat with Meta AI, also relying on Private Processing, is intended to let users seek AI assistance during active conversations — whether in group chats or one-on-one threads — without disrupting the primary exchange. Both features represent part of a broader effort to expand AI capabilities while keeping privacy concerns from undermining user confidence.
Incognito Chat with Meta AI is being rolled out gradually on WhatsApp and the Meta AI app, with wider availability expected across 2026. No fixed global launch date has been announced.
