WhatsApp introduces a new function for live voice conversations with Meta's artificial intelligence
WhatsApp Introduces Voice Chat Feature with Meta AI
WhatsApp has announced a new voice chat feature with Meta AI, allowing users to have real-time spoken conversations with Meta's AI chatbot. The feature is designed to make communication more convenient, especially for multitasking, driving, or users with mobility challenges.
To initiate a voice session, users can tap a waveform icon in the Chats tab or directly from the Calls tab. This triggers a phone call–like interface for hands-free interaction. The voice chat continues in the background if the user switches apps, and supports attachments like photos.
Default prompt suggestions and controls such as muting the mic, ending the session, or switching back to text chat are included in the updated interface. By default, voice activation is off, giving users control over when the AI listens.
Privacy remains a priority during voice chats with Meta AI. WhatsApp uses Android's system-level microphone indicator (a green dot) to transparently show when the microphone is active during these voice chats. Additionally, WhatsApp offers an "Advanced Chat Privacy" setting that users can enable to protect their chat data from AI access. When activated, this setting prevents the AI from reading chat content, disables chat export, and blocks AI features like mentions or summaries.
However, this privacy setting is off by default and can be toggled by any group chat participant, meaning control is shared among members. This creates a balance between AI utility and user privacy but also raises potential concerns about surveillance and data exposure.
The orange dot in the top-right corner of the screen on iOS is part of Apple's system-level privacy protections and cannot be modified, hidden, or overridden by any app, including WhatsApp.
The new feature is currently available to some beta testers in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 25.21.10.76 update. It can be accessed via the TestFlight app. Users can manually end the voice session by tapping the close button or switching back to text chat. The setting to start voice chats automatically is off by default, but users can enable it in voice preferences. Some users can instantly initiate a voice conversation with Meta AI directly from the Calls tab.
The voice chat feature with Meta AI is set to roll out more widely in the coming weeks. It's an exciting development that aims to make communication on WhatsApp even more seamless and convenient for its users.
- The voice chat feature with Meta AI on WhatsApp is powered by artificial-intelligence (AI), enabling real-time spoken conversations with Meta's AI chatbot.
- With the new voice chat feature, users can initiate hands-free interactions, even if they are multitasking, driving, or have mobility challenges, demonstrating the technological innovation behind the feature.
