WhatsApp beta adds Meta AI chat threads and spotlights privacy risks
Mar 9th 2026
A new WhatsApp Android beta groups Meta AI prompts into separate threads while keeping shared memory by default, but the exchanges are processed on Meta servers outside standard end to end encryption, creating privacy and consent concerns.
- Android beta 2.26.9.4 lets some testers organize AI interactions into separate threads per prompt.
- All Meta AI exchanges still appear in a single interface even when they belong to different threads.
- Memory is shared across AI threads by default unless users disable it from the contact info screen.
- Messages sent to Meta AI are processed on Meta servers and are not covered by WhatsApp end to end encryption.
- Meta says interactions can be used to personalize content and advertising and there is no opt-out for that use.
- Regulators in the EU have warned that some forms of AI data processing may require explicit consent, raising questions about storage and handling of sensitive data.