WhatsApp is rolling out third-party AI agent chats on iPhone
WhatsApp is reportedly opening its door to third-party AI agents on its messaging platform, something similar to what Telegram has had for years. These agents can chat with users and are designed to carry out specific tasks, such as helping organise tasks or drafting messages or planning your day. To get started, users need to create an agent through the app’s settings, where they can give it a name and profile photo and get an API key.
According to WABetaInfo, unlike regular WhatsApp messages, chats with these agents are not end-to-end encrypted. This is because the agents are operated by third-party developers, while messages are handled through a Meta service on their behalf. Notably, these agents are not necessarily AI-powered. They can also be regular bots.
WhatsApp is reportedly already working on this feature for Android. Now, according to WABetaInfo, it has also been spotted on iOS in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.37.10.70 update, available through TestFlight.How will third-party AI agents work on WhatsApp
Once the feature becomes available, users will be able to create up to five agents through WhatsApp settings. They can customise each agent by giving it a name and profile photo. WhatsApp will then generate an API key, which users can use to connect the agent to a service hosted by its developer.
After the setup, users can chat with these agents just like they would with a regular WhatsApp contact. However, the agents will only be able to read the messages and content that users explicitly share with them. They will not have access to other personal chats, contacts or media stored on the device.
The feature could make it easier for users to interact with different services directly through WhatsApp. However, what each agent can actually do will depend on how its developer has built it.
The feature also does not support disappearing messages. Users can, however, reset their API key if they want to disconnect or replace the key used to connect their agent.
For now, the feature is reportedly rolling out to a limited number of beta testers in select countries. There is no word yet on when it will become available to all WhatsApp users.- EndsPublished By: Kazi NasirPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 18:58 IST
