Meta has officially announced a new AI-powered feature for WhatsApp to summarise unread messages in a chat. The tool, called Message Summaries, is currently available to users in the United States in English and will expand to more countries and languages later this year. Earlier, this feature was tested with Android beta users under version 2.25.18.18. The feature is optional (turned off by default) and is designed to help users quickly catch up on conversations without reading every message.
The summaries are generated by Meta AI, but they are private and only visible to the user. Other people in the chat are not notified when a summary is created, and the content of the messages is not shared with Meta. Under this latest update, a small icon appears above unread messages to indicate when the feature is available, and users can choose whether or not to use it.
According to the social media giant, the feature uses a privacy-focused system called ‘Private Processing’. This technology allows the app to use AI to understand chat context and create summaries without breaking WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. The summaries and the original messages are not stored or accessed by the company and are processed securely in a protected environment. Meanwhile, the company has also invited users and developers to learn more about how Private Processing works by publishing a technical whitepaper and engineering blog.
To use the new feature, users can open WhatsApp settings, go to Chats, then tap on Private Processing. There, they can turn on Message Summaries and manage other AI features. WhatsApp also includes an Advanced Chat Privacy option, which lets users control which chats can use AI or block the tools entirely.
“Message Summaries uses Private Processing technology, which allows Meta AI to generate a response without Meta or WhatsApp ever seeing your messages or the private summaries,” the company said.
The announcement comes at a time when earlier reports suggested that WhatsApp was also exploring other AI-powered tools to enhance user experience. In April 2025, the app was spotted testing a message translation feature in its Android beta version 2.25.12.25. This tool allows users to translate messages manually or automatically by downloading language packs. Additionally, the company is also testing an AI-powered feature called Writing Help, which suggests ways to improve the tone and clarity of messages before they are sent. Like the summarization tool, Writing Help runs on the same Private Processing system to keep user data secure and private.
However, despite introducing advanced AI features, Meta continues to face major setbacks and controversies. For example, Meta AI recently came under serious criticism after reports revealed it had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with users, including minors. At the same time, the company is also facing a major antitrust trial brought by the US Federal Trade Commission, which accuses Meta of acquiring WhatsApp and Instagram to eliminate competition. If the case goes against Meta, it could be forced to divest from both platforms.
