WhatsApp explores third-party AI agent chats on Android app: Details here

WhatsApp is reportedly testing third-party AI agents on Android, letting users access external services within the app, though these conversations are currently not end-to-end encrypted

WhatsApp is testing a feature that lets users chat with third-party AI agents directly within the messaging app. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the feature allows users to connect external AI agents to their WhatsApp account and interact with them through separate chats. Users can access these agents without leaving WhatsApp, although messages exchanged with them are handled differently from regular personal conversations.

 

The feature is currently being rolled out to a limited number of Android users in select regions. According to WABetaInfo, it has been spotted in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.35.3.

 

What is an AI agent

 

An AI agent is a tool that can understand natural-language instructions and respond to users. Unlike basic chatbots that typically follow predefined responses, AI agents can handle more complex requests and, in some cases, carry out tasks on a user's behalf. Developers can build such agents using tools and application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by AI companies such as OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.

 

 

However, not every agent is powered by artificial intelligence. The term can also refer to a bot designed to perform a specific task or respond to predefined commands. Until now, users typically had to access such agents through a dedicated app, website, browser or browser extension.

 

WhatsApp's third-party AI agent chats: Details

 

According to the report, the new feature is available through an Agents section in WhatsApp settings. Users can add an agent by entering its name and profile information. WhatsApp currently allows users to add up to five third party agents to an account. After an agent is added, WhatsApp generates an API key that has to be entered on the platform hosting the agent to complete the connection.

 

Once the connection is established, the third party agent appears as a separate chat in WhatsApp. Users can send messages to the agent in the same way they would message an individual contact. The agent can respond within the conversation, allowing users to access AI-based services without switching between applications.

 

The feature is not restricted to conversational AI. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp also supports bots designed for specific tasks or commands. This could allow developers to connect different types of automated services to WhatsApp, depending on how their agents are built.

 

However, third party agent conversations have different privacy protections from regular WhatsApp chats. Messages exchanged with these agents are not protected by WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption because they are processed through a Meta service on behalf of the third party agent developer.

 

WhatsApp has also placed restrictions on what third party agents can access. An agent is limited to the conversation in which it is being used and cannot access a user's other WhatsApp chats. It also cannot access the user's contacts or media stored in other conversations. Third party agents cannot currently be added to WhatsApp groups or communities either.

 

The separation is intended to prevent an external agent from gaining access to a user's broader WhatsApp account. The agent operates through its own individual conversation rather than becoming part of the user's existing chats.

 

Users can also remove an agent through WhatsApp's settings. Removing an agent disconnects it from WhatsApp, although the existing conversation remains visible in the app. To connect the same agent again, users have to establish a new connection using a new API key.