Archive · 23 Sep 2026
WhatsApp iPhone Users May Soon Create AI Agents
WhatsApp is testing a way for people to create special agents inside the app.
These agents could be powered by artificial intelligence, but they could also be regular bots.
People may be able to make up to five agents.
Each agent can have its own name and picture.
Users would connect an agent to a developer’s service with a special API key.
The agent could see only the messages or content that users choose to share.
Other chats, contacts, and media would remain outside its access.
However, conversations with agents would not have end-to-end encryption, and the feature is currently available only to a small group of iPhone testers.
WhatsApp is testing a feature that could let iPhone users create up to five agents inside the app.
Users may name each agent, add a profile picture, and connect it to a developer-hosted service using an API key.
Agents will appear like regular contacts and will access only messages or content users choose to share.
Chats with these agents will not use end-to-end encryption, and disappearing messages will be unavailable.
The feature is limited to selected iOS beta testers in some countries, with no confirmed public rollout date.
- Who
- WhatsApp iPhone beta testers and developers creating connected agents.
- What
- WhatsApp is testing a feature for creating and connecting up to five agents inside the app.
- When
- The feature was spotted in WhatsApp beta for iOS version 26.37.10.70; no public rollout date has been confirmed.
- Where
- In WhatsApp on iPhone, initially for beta testers in select countries.
Potential benefits
Privacy concerns
Controlled access
Potential benefits
Users can choose which messages or content an agent may access, while other personal chats, contacts, and media remain outside its access.
Privacy concerns
Chats with these agents will not use end-to-end encryption, creating a different privacy standard from other WhatsApp conversations.
Expanded functionality
Potential benefits
The feature could let developers connect AI-powered agents or regular bots that appear like ordinary WhatsApp contacts.
Privacy concerns
Users will need to connect the agent to a developer-hosted service, and the article does not describe how those services will handle the shared content.
Availability
Potential benefits
WhatsApp is testing the feature with selected users and is reportedly also working on an Android version.
Privacy concerns
Only a limited group of iPhone beta testers in select countries currently has access, and there is no confirmed timeline for wider availability.
- Platform
- iOS through WhatsApp beta version 26.37.10.70 on TestFlight
- Agent limit
- Users may be able to create up to five agents
- Connection method
- An API key connects each agent to a developer-hosted service
- Data access
- Agents can access only messages or content users choose to share
- Encryption
- Chats with agents will not use end-to-end encryption
- Other chat features
- Disappearing messages will not work in agent conversations
- Availability
- Limited iPhone beta testing is underway in select countries; Android development is also reportedly in progress