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WhatsApp is getting AI-powered summaries for unread chats

When Apple’s AI summaries for notifications work, they can be pretty useful. However, with Apple Intelligence limited to select devices, most iPhone users still can’t take advantage of it. Now, WhatsApp is testing its own in-app, AI-powered feature that summarizes unread messages in chats, groups, and channels. Here’s how it works.

As uncovered by WABetaInfo (via Tecnoblog), WhatsApp’s AI summaries are being tested on Android, and are opt-in through a feature called Private Processing.

Once activated, if there’s a large enough message backlog, a new “Summarize with Meta AI” button appears in place of the usual “X unread messages” label. Tapping it returns a brief recap of the conversation.

According to WhatsApp, none of the message content is stored or linked to the user. Everything is handled in an isolated environment in the cloud, and the summaries are deleted immediately after processing.

As WABetaInfo notes, the feature is also automatically disabled in conversations that use Advanced Privacy, ensuring that no AI interaction takes place in those cases, even with encryption in place.

For now, the message summarization feature is only available to some users in the Android beta and is rolling out gradually. WhatsApp hasn’t shared details about availability for iOS, nor about language support or compatibility across regions.

Writing Help

Also spotted in development is another AI-based feature called “Writing Help,” which would let users refine the tone or clarity of their messages before sending. Like message summaries, it would also rely on the Private Processing infrastructure to preserve privacy.

Are you interested in these features? Would you trust cloud processing with your messages?us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Marcus Mendes Marcus Mendes

Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.

He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.