WhatsApp’s AI just got incognito mode

WhatsApp is rolling out a new private mode for Meta AI chats, where neither WhatsApp nor Meta can read or store the conversation.

The feature works like an AI “incognito” mode. When it is switched on, the user’s messages and the chatbot’s replies are not monitored, and the chat history disappears from the user’s side, too.

WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said people want to ask AI about sensitive topics, such as health, relationships and money, without feeling like that information is being saved.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it the first major AI product with no chat logs stored on servers. 

Cathcart said it is not the same as WhatsApp’s usual end-to-end encryption, but is meant to offer a similar level of privacy.

The update comes after Meta AI was added to WhatsApp last year, which annoyed some users because they could not fully turn it off. 

In May 2025, Zuckerberg said Meta AI had reached one billion users across Meta’s apps.

But the feature also raises concerns. Cyber security expert Prof Alan Woodward said the privacy risk to WhatsApp’s wider security system seems low, but disappearing chats could make it harder to investigate problems if something goes wrong.

The worry is accountability. If AI conversations cannot be recovered by users or Meta, it may be difficult to prove whether chatbot responses caused harm.

Cathcart said the feature will start with text only, not images.

He also said Meta AI’s safety systems will be cautious when handling requests that may be harmful or illegal.

For now, WhatsApp users can only use Meta’s own AI inside the app, after the company blocked other chatbots from the platform.

Meta is also spending heavily on AI infrastructure, with expected costs of around $145bn in 2026. 

Investors are watching to see whether that spending leads to stronger growth across Meta’s apps, ads and commerce tools.

Meta, write me up a plan for world domination. - MV