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WhatsApp is testing third-party AI agents inside chats for select iPhone users across limited countries. The feature reached WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.37.10.70 this week, following earlier Android testing. WABetaInfo reported the rollout on September 22, while the Meta app confirmed support for independent agents.
The feature lets users create an external agent, connect it through an API key, and chat within WhatsApp. Users can create up to five agents, while each agent operates through a dedicated one-to-one conversation. The company said these agents can include AI tools, bots, and other automated services from independent developers.
Users can set up an agent through the app’s settings. They need to assign a name and profile photo; WhatsApp then generates an API key to connect the agent with its external hosting service. The connected agent can respond to the dedicated WhatsApp conversation.
The API key connects WhatsApp and the external service running the agent. WABetaInfo says users can reset the key if necessary and that it should remain private. The system currently supports five connected agents, although WhatsApp can change that limit later.
Access also remains limited to information shared directly with the agent. The agent cannot access other chats, contacts, or media stored within WhatsApp. Group chats and communities also remain outside the current agent setup.
The biggest change involves WhatsApp privacy protections for these conversations. Regular personal chats retain end-to-end encryption, while WhatsApp states that agent conversations receive different treatment.
WhatsApp explicitly says communications with third-party agents are ‘not end-to-end encrypted.’ Messages reach the agent through a Meta service that manages the conversation for its provider. The agent provider can receive, process, and store messages in unencrypted form.
Responsibility for those messages also shifts toward the independent agent provider. WhatsApp says providers control their own data practices and handle requests involving access, deletion, correction, or portability.
The feature therefore adds a new layer of functionality without extending standard WhatsApp encryption. Users considering third-party AI agents should review each provider's privacy terms before sharing sensitive information.
WhatsApp has not confirmed a wider release date for the feature. The current iOS rollout remains limited, so the final experience could change before broader availability.
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