WhatsApp may let users connect up to five third-party AI agents

WhatsApp is testing a way to let users connect outside AI agents directly to chats in the app. The feature, spotted by WABetaInfo, lets users create a dedicated conversation for an agent, send it instructions, and receive replies without opening another app.

The feature is still limited to some Android beta users. WhatsApp has not announced a public rollout or an iPhone release.

How the agent chats would work

Users can add an agent from WhatsApp’s settings, give it a name, and choose a profile photo. WhatsApp then generates an API key that the user pastes into the service hosting the agent. Compatible services can use that connection to send messages back into the new WhatsApp chat.

WABetaInfo says the feature supports up to five agents per account. They could be AI agents, but the system also supports simpler bots that carry out specific commands. Each one appears as its own conversation, so users can keep different tools separate.

The agent only gets access to what the user shares in its chat. It cannot read other WhatsApp conversations, contacts, or media, and the current implementation does not support group chats or communities. Removing an agent disconnects it, but WhatsApp keeps the existing chat history visible.

These chats are not end-to-end encrypted

The privacy detail matters more than the five-agent limit. WhatsApp’s Help Center says chats with third-party agents are not considered end-to-end encrypted because a Meta service manages the conversation for the agent developer.

That does not give an agent access to the rest of your WhatsApp account. It does mean users should treat the dedicated chat differently from a normal conversation with another person. The agent developer can access the messages as part of the service, so sensitive information does not belong there unless the user trusts that provider.

WhatsApp also warns that AI responses may be inaccurate. That is worth keeping in mind when an agent is asked to make decisions or carry out tasks based on incomplete information.

The company has been adding more AI features to WhatsApp, including Incognito Chat for Meta AI and testing AI summaries for unread messages. Third-party agents take that shift a step further by letting people bring their own tools into the messaging app.

The rollout is still small

The feature appeared in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.35.3 and is rolling out to a limited number of accounts in select countries. Most users will not see an Agents section in WhatsApp’s settings yet.

WhatsApp has not said when the feature will reach more Android accounts, group chats, or iPhone users. Until then, the useful takeaway is simple: agent chats may soon be easier to set up, but they will have a different privacy model from regular WhatsApp messages.