WhatsApp is quietly testing a way for users to talk to outside AI bots without ever leaving the app, giving every connected bot its own dedicated chat window instead of routing everything through a single assistant.
A New Agents Section Inside Settings
According to WABetaInfo, which tracks upcoming WhatsApp features, the change has surfaced in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.35.3. The build reportedly adds a new Agents section inside Settings, where users will be able to add and manage compatible AI services. Each connected bot can be given its own name and profile picture, and a single WhatsApp account will reportedly be capped at a maximum of five AI agents, keeping the list of active bots small and manageable.
Linking a Bot Through an API Key
Once someone sets up a new agent, WhatsApp is expected to generate an API key for it. That key then has to be entered into whichever service is hosting the AI agent, after which the bot gets linked to its own separate chat inside WhatsApp. The exact setup steps may vary slightly from one AI service to another, since each provider runs its own infrastructure and may ask for the key to be entered in a different place. If a connection needs to be reset for any reason, a fresh API key can reportedly be generated to replace the old one.
No Access to Other Chats or Groups
On the privacy side, a connected AI agent will reportedly be confined strictly to the single chat created for it. It won't be able to reach a user's other personal chats, contacts or media files, and it also won't be able to see conversations happening in any other AI agent chat on the same account. WhatsApp also isn't expected to allow these AI agents to be added to group chats or communities, meaning the feature will stay limited to one-on-one conversations for now. Users will still be able to rename an agent or change its profile picture later from Settings. Removing an agent ends its connection, though the old chat history may remain saved inside WhatsApp.
These Chats Won't Be End-to-End Encrypted
The most sensitive part of this rollout concerns encryption. Chats with third-party AI agents will not carry WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption. That means any message sent to an agent, from a casual question to something more personal, could be processed through Meta's services, and the developer behind that agent may be able to access those messages as part of running their own service. WhatsApp has clarified that ordinary personal chats and calls between users will remain end-to-end encrypted exactly as before; this change only affects conversations with AI agents.
Still Limited to a Small Group of Testers
For now, the feature is only being rolled out to a limited number of Android beta users, so most people won't see the Agents section in their Settings yet. WhatsApp hasn't confirmed when or how this will be extended to all users, which suggests a wider rollout could still be some way off before AI agents become a standard part of the app for everyone.
