WhatsApp is launching an incognito mode for AI chats

WhatsApp is rolling out a new incognito mode for communicating with an AI-powered chatbot. Meta says that conversations will be temporary, will not be saved after the session ends, and even the company itself will not have access to them. This was reported by the Associated Press.

The new mode comes amid ongoing debates about the privacy of AI services. People are increasingly sharing personal data with chatbots—from health issues to financial matters.

Meta Platforms has announced the launch of a new incognito mode in WhatsApp for conversations with an AI assistant. The company explains that the feature was created for users who want to communicate with a chatbot without fear that their messages will remain in the system.

Meta assures that the new format will function as a temporary private session. Once the chat ends, messages will automatically disappear, and the conversation itself will not be saved by default. “Messages will be processed in a secure environment,” Meta stated.

The company also claims that not even Meta itself will have access to these chats. This is precisely what is intended to be the main difference between the new mode and regular communication with AI. The decision to launch incognito chats stems from the fact that people are increasingly asking chatbots very personal questions. Users discuss finances, work, mental health, health issues, or family situations with AI.

Because of this, privacy has become one of the most pressing issues for companies developing artificial intelligence. Generative models are trained on large amounts of data, and users have long been concerned that their data could be used to train these systems.

Meta says the new mode will also have additional security restrictions. If a user asks dangerous or prohibited questions, the bot will not respond to them. “The system will first try to provide useful information, and then may completely stop the interaction,” the company explained.

For now, the functionality of incognito mode will be limited. Users will only be able to send text messages and receive text responses. Uploading or generating images will not work in this mode.

Meta is also introducing an age restriction. Only users over the age of 13 will be able to use the feature. To do so, they will need to verify their age. In the AI market, such tools have long been standard. For example, in Google Gemini, you can disable chat history and prohibit the use of your data to train the model. ChatGPT also offers similar privacy settings.

However, cybersecurity experts remind us: even the boldest promises from tech companies do not guarantee absolute anonymity. That is why users are advised not to share overly sensitive information with chatbots—especially banking details, passwords, or medical records.

Meta has not yet announced an exact date for the global launch of the new feature. It is expected that WhatsApp’s incognito mode will be rolled out gradually to users in different countries around the world.