Image credit: Getty Images
WhatsApp has announced a new feature designed to help users quickly catch up on unread conversations. The tool, called Message Summaries, leverages Meta AI to provide concise overviews of unread messages—without compromising user privacy.
Whether returning from a Wi-Fi-free flight or juggling multiple chats during a busy day, users can now rely on Message Summaries to get up to speed quickly. The summaries are generated privately using Meta’s Private Processing technology, which ensures that neither WhatsApp nor Meta can access message content or the summaries themselves.
Read-WhatsApp rolls out new features for businesses: How to benefit from them
“No one else in the chat will know you’ve used the feature,” the company said in a statement. “Your privacy is protected at all times.”
Message Summaries are entirely optional and turned off by default. Users have full control over the feature, including the ability to enable it only for selected chats via the Advanced Chat Privacy settings.
The feature is currently rolling out in English to users in the United States, with plans to expand to more languages and regions later this year. For those interested in how Private Processing works, Meta has published an engineering blog.
This announcement follows WhatsApp’s May 2025 update that brought voice chats to groups of all sizes. Designed for spontaneous conversations—whether discussing a thrilling game, reacting to a show’s finale, or sharing exciting news—voice chats offer a flexible, live audio experience within existing group chats.
Unlike traditional calls, starting a voice chat does not notify or ring other members. Instead, users can join and leave the ongoing conversation at their convenience. The voice chat remains pinned to the bottom of the group chat for easy access to call controls and participant visibility.
Previously limited to large groups, the feature is now available to all group sizes. Users can start a voice chat by swiping up from the bottom of the chat window and holding for a few seconds.
As with all WhatsApp communications, voice chats are protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring privacy and security.
