Incoming WhatsApp update will let AI tell you what's happening with your friends and family

Taylor Bushey
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:50:40 +0000

WhatsApp is working on a clever new tool that could save you a lot of time catching up on missed messages.

The eagle-eyed team at WABetaInfo has spotted that the Meta-owned chat app is developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered feature that lets you get summaries of all your unread chats in one go.

WhatsApp already offers an AI-powered summary of unread messages within each chat, which is similar to the chat summaries you'd find on an iPhone or on Gmail. But the difference now is that when you tap the "Unread" filter in your Chats tab, you'll see a new "Get a summary" button pop up at the top of your screen.

This means you'll get a quick rundown of everything you've missed across multiple conversations – no more scrolling through endless group chat messages. It's ideal for those moments when you've been away from your phone and come back to find dozens of notifications waiting. Group chats, family threads, work messages – they all pile up quickly.

To achieve this, WhatsApp is using Meta's "Private Processing" — a system that keeps your chats completely secure while the AI does its work. Your messages get processed in a protected space using something called a Trusted Execution Environment – essentially a locked box that nobody can peek inside.

Neither WhatsApp nor Meta can access what's being summarised. The AI doesn't store your messages or the summary once it's finished, either.

WhatsApp hasn't announced exactly when the feature will launch for everyone, but it's in beta testing for both iOS and Android devices. This allows Meta to focus on making sure the multi-chat summarisation runs smoothly before rolling it out more widely.

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If you're keen to use it when it does arrive, you'll need to switch on Private Processing in your app settings first – it's not automatic.

While you wait, you can already use WhatsApp's individual summaries via Meta AI, built into the app.

When you have several unread messages in a single thread, Meta AI will give you the option to summarise them at the top.

Private Processing will need to be toggled on to enable this feature as well. To access individual chat summaries, follow these steps:

1. Open WhatsApp

2. Tap Settings (bottom right on iPhone / top menu on Android)

3. Tap Chats

4. Tap Private Processing

5. Toggle it ON

Meta has been adding several new features to WhatsApp already this year. The platform will soon let you hide your phone number with the use of a username. It's also working on a new paid membership feature that will give you access to more customisations like changing the app's design and using exclusive ringtones.