WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new feature that leverages Meta AI to generate private summaries of unread messages. This tool aims to help users quickly catch up on personal and group chats without needing to scroll through long threads. Initially launched in the United States for English-language chats, the feature is expected to expand to other regions and languages later in 2025.
The Message Summaries feature uses artificial intelligence to create short, bullet-point summaries of chats. These summaries provide users with a quick snapshot of conversations, saving time and effort. The tool is especially valuable for users in high-traffic groups or those who receive frequent messages throughout the day.
Once the feature is available, users can prompt Meta AI to generate summaries, eliminating the need to open each chat and scroll through numerous unread messages. Both one-on-one chats and group chats are supported, ensuring that users can stay updated on all conversations efficiently.
The AI-powered summaries are designed with privacy at their core. Meta states that the system uses Private Processing, a method that ensures message content and summaries remain unseen by both Meta and WhatsApp. The data is processed locally and securely, without being transmitted to external servers or accessible by company systems.
Meta also emphasizes that the AI models do not retain or learn from the messages or summaries they process. This means that once a summary is generated, it is not stored, shared, or used for any further AI training or analytics.
The summaries are produced in a privacy-preserving environment, giving users confidence that their chats remain confidential. Only the person who requests the summary can see it. No data from the chat is visible to other participants, and there is no risk of the conversation content being exposed to Meta or WhatsApp employees.
Meta has made the feature opt-in rather than enabling it by default. Users will need to manually activate Message Summaries in the app’s Advanced Chat Privacy settings. This ensures users can choose whether to use AI-powered tools and select which chats are included.
Additionally, users can fine-tune the feature’s behavior, specifying particular conversations that can or cannot be summarized by Meta AI. This gives greater control over how AI interacts with personal and group chats.
When a user asks Meta AI to summarize messages, no notification or visible indicator is sent to others in the conversation. Whether in a group chat or a direct chat, the summarization request remains private. This design ensures that the action of using AI to manage messages does not disrupt the chat dynamic or alert other participants.
The launch of WhatsApp Message Summaries aligns with Meta’s broader strategy to integrate AI more deeply into its messaging platforms. By offering practical tools that enhance the user experience without compromising privacy, Meta aims to make AI a seamless part of how people communicate and manage their digital lives.
While the feature is currently limited to users in the United States, Meta has announced plans to expand it to additional regions and languages later this year. This phased rollout will allow the company to refine the technology based on early feedback and ensure that the feature meets privacy and usability standards across markets.